This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (2)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related articles  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Pulmonary Diseases  • Asthma  • Randomized Controlled Trial  • Immunology  • Allergy  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Stephen T. Holgate, MD

JAMA. 2001;285:2637-2639.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

During the 140 years that followed Henry Hyde Salter's first description of asthma¹ as a distinct syndrome characterized by paroxysmal episodes of bronchospasm, there has been a relentless search to understand the mechanisms by which this disease affects the conducting airways. The specific airway inflammation in asthma involves mast cells, macrophages, and eosinophils orchestrated by cytokines secreted from a subset of T cells (T_H2-like) and is accompanied by increased bronchial hyperresponsiveness to both direct (eg, methacholine) and indirect (eg, exercise) stimuli. These characteristics may in part explain the disordered airway function in asthma, its relationship to environmental exposures, and therapeutic responses observed with inhaled corticosteroids and ₂-agonists.^2-3 For both inhaled corticosteroids and ₂-agonists, the last 2 decades have witnessed a progressive improvement in drug efficacy, delivery, duration of action, and therapeutic index, making twice daily inhaled therapy for asthma feasible.

As principal objectives of asthma . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliation: Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology Division, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, England.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

RELATED ARTICLES

Long-Acting ₂-Agonist Monotherapy vs Continued Therapy With Inhaled Corticosteroids in Patients With Persistent Asthma: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Stephen C. Lazarus, Homer A. Boushey, John V. Fahy, Vernon M. Chinchilli, Robert F. Lemanske, Jr, Christine A. Sorkness, Monica Kraft, James E. Fish, Stephen P. Peters, Timothy Craig, Jeffrey M. Drazen, Jean G. Ford, Elliot Israel, Richard J. Martin, Elizabeth A. Mauger, Sami A. Nachman, Joseph D. Spahn, Stanley J. Szefler, and for the Asthma Clinical Research Network of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
JAMA. 2001;285(20):2583-2593.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Inhaled Corticosteroid Reduction and Elimination in Patients With Persistent Asthma Receiving Salmeterol: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Robert F. Lemanske, Jr, Christine A. Sorkness, Elizabeth A. Mauger, Stephen C. Lazarus, Homer A. Boushey, John V. Fahy, Jeffrey M. Drazen, Vernon M. Chinchilli, Timothy Craig, James E. Fish, Jean G. Ford, Elliot Israel, Monica Kraft, Richard J. Martin, Sami A. Nachman, Stephen P. Peters, Joseph D. Spahn, Stanley J. Szefler, and for the Asthma Clinical Research Network of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
JAMA. 2001;285(20):2594-2603.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Pharmacotherapy of asthma: regular treatment or on demand?
Montuschi et al.
Ther Adv Respir Dis 2009;3:175-191.
ABSTRACT  

Formoterol as relief medication in asthma: a worldwide safety and effectiveness trial
Pauwels et al.
Eur Respir J 2003;22:787-794.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Inhaled Long-Acting {beta}2-Agonists in Asthma Treatment
JWatch General 2001;2001:1-1.
FULL TEXT