title: Noninvasive monitoring of airway inflammation and steroid reduction in children with asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Management of pediatric asthma is currently based on symptoms (often a second-hand report from parents) and lung function. Inhaled steroids are the mainstay of asthma management targeted at controlling airway inflammation. They should be used in the lowest possible doses. A number of noninvasive methods to assess inflammation have been developed in an effort to optimize anti-inflammatory treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The first longitudinal studies have been published demonstrating an improvement in asthma control in children by adding noninvasive monitoring of inflammation into the clinical management. New methods include exhaled nitric oxide measurements, induced sputum and markers in exhaled breath condensate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies will show the practicability of including these measurement methods into everyday clinical practice. Their addition to the conventional assessment of asthma control appears promising. Using these methods to evaluate the current inflammatory state seems obligatory in research into new asthma therapeutics and management strategies. Managing asthma in children in specialist practice relying only on symptoms and lung function is no longer state of the art.
authors: Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria. angela.zacharasiewicz@wienkav.at
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Zacharasiewicz
authors: Edward M
authors: EM
authors: Erin
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Bush