ASTHMA AS AN INFLAMMATORY DISEASE

Asthma appears to be a disease at least partially associated with and modulated by inflammation. This inflammation involves multiple steps that are common to all inflammatory processes, but of which certain specific pathways may be exclusive for asthma. Significant attention needs to be paid to the differences that separate the inflammatory changes representative of atopic disease alone vs asthma, as well as the relationship between increased reactivity and inflammation. A better understanding of the various steps in the asthmatic inflammatory process should allow us to target specific steps pharmacologically, theoretically limit the inflammation, and thereby improve the treatment of asthma.