title: Viral infections in obstructive airway diseases.
abstract: The most common syndromes associated with obstructive lung disease are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Evidence for a viral etiology of asthmatic exacerbations is well known, but evidence for a role for viruses in COPD exacerbation is just emerging. Viruses may cause chronic infection in both diseases. This paper reviews some studies on the effects of respiratory viruses on asthma and COPD published in 2002 and discusses their relevance to current thinking in pulmonary medicine.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Respiatory Medicine, St. Bartholomew's & the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK.
authors.forename: Terence A R
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Seemungal
authors.forename: Jadwiga A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wedzicha
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000472:pathogenicity; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*