title: Recent developments in the role of reactive oxygen species in allergic asthma.
abstract: Allergic asthma has a global prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. Many environmental factors, such as pollutants and allergens, are highly relevant to allergic asthma. The most important pathological symptom of allergic asthma is airway inflammation. Accordingly, the unique role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) had been identified as a main reason for this respiratory inflammation. Many studies have shown that inhalation of different allergens can promote ROS generation. Recent studies have demonstrated that several pro-inflammatory mediators are responsible for the development of allergic asthma. Among these mediators, endogenous or exogenous ROS are responsible for the airway inflammation of allergic asthma. Furthermore, several inflammatory cells induce ROS and allergic asthma development. Airway inflammation, airway hyper-responsiveness, tissue injury, and remodeling can be induced by excessive ROS production in animal models. Based on investigations of allergic asthma and ROS formation mechanisms, we have identified several novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic treatments. This review describes the recent data linking ROS to the pathogenesis of allergic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China;; Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Peisong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Chengping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
keywords: Allergic asthma; antioxidants; reactive oxygen species (ROS)