title: Phenotype of asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome.
abstract: Many patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have overlapping characteristics of both diseases. By spirometric definition, patients with both fixed airflow obstruction (AO) and bronchodilator reversibility or fixed AO and bronchial hyperresponsiveness can be considered to have asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). However, patients regarded to have ACOS by spirometric criteria alone are heterogeneous and can be classified by phenotype. Eosinophilic inflammation, a history of allergic disease, and smoke exposure are important components in the classification of ACOS. Each phenotype has a different underlying pathophysiology, set of characteristics, and prognosis. Medical treatment for ACOS should be tailored according to phenotype. A narrower definition of ACOS that includes both spirometric and clinical criteria is needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chin Kook
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Rhee
mesh_terms: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013147:Spirometry; D013577:Syndrome; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents
keywords: Asthma; Phenotype; Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive