title: [Does phenotyping asthma help to improve differential treatment?].
abstract: Asthma is a syndrome characterized by airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and airway obstruction. The diagnosis asthma comprises a very heterogeneous patient population. In recent years different strategies have been developed to classify the patients into different phenotypes. The phenotypes can be based on clinical findings, etiology and triggers or be defined by the type of airway inflammation. These classifications are still very crude and confusing and often a clear-cut differentiation between different described phenotypes is not possible. Still some phenotypes depend on different pathophysiological mechanisms and can differ profoundly in their clinical course. Also for some of these phenotypes specifical treatpeuthic options are available. Therefore a good definition and classification of asthma phenotypes is important in regard of diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of these patients.
authors.affiliation: III. Medizinische Klinik, Schwerpunkt Pneumologie, Universitätsmedizin, Mainz. taube@3-med.klinik.uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taube
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buhl
mesh_terms: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids