title: Asthma: pathology and pathophysiology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma has been defined as a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that is associated with recruitment of inflammatory cells and the clinical development of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough. Asthma is a major public health issue. It affects 5% of the United States population and accounts for 2 million emergency department visits, 470,000 hospitalizations, and 4500 deaths annually.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review the pathophysiology and characteristic pathologic patterns of this disease and discuss the possible mechanisms of production of the lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched the literature using MEDLINE and OVID. We also searched related conference abstracts and bibliographies of selected studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There has been a significant evolution in our understanding of asthma. Specific pathways and mechanisms in recent years have been studied; however, numerous mediators and cell receptors have raised new questions that remain to be answered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA. rbarrios@tmh.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Roberto J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Barrios
authors.forename: Farrah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kheradmand
authors.forename: LaKeisha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Batts
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Corry
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic
chemical_list: D011971:Receptors, Immunologic