Document Detail


Physiologic dysfunction of the asthmatic lung: what's going on down there, anyway?
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19387035     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Asthma is a syndrome of lung dysfunction characterized by airflow obstruction, reversibility to bronchodilators, and airways hyperresponsiveness (AHR). There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that the principle defect in asthma is the occlusion of the airway lumen by liquid, fibrin, and mucus. The fall in FEV(1) observed in asthma is best explained by a loss of communicating airspaces and the rise in residual lung volume. Imaging studies in both human patients and experimental animals support this hypothesis. An increased propensity for the airways to close can be a cause of AHR. We conclude that loss of lung volume plays a central role in determining the dysfunction of the asthmatic lung as measured by FEV(1). Together, these recent findings provide a better understanding of the causes of airflow obstruction and AHR, suggesting new avenues for the development of more effective asthma therapies.
Authors:
Charles G Irvin; Jason H T Bates
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society     Volume:  6     ISSN:  1546-3222     ISO Abbreviation:  Proc Am Thorac Soc     Publication Date:  2009 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-04-23     Completed Date:  2009-07-10     Revised Date:  2010-09-27    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101203596     Medline TA:  Proc Am Thorac Soc     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  306-11     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Vermont Lung Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0075, USA. charles.irvin@uvm.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Asthma / pathology,  physiopathology*
Bronchial Hyperreactivity / pathology,  physiopathology
Humans
Models, Animal
Respiratory Mechanics
Severity of Illness Index
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
5 P20 RR15557/RR/NCRR NIH HHS; HL 67273/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS; R01 HL075593/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS; R01 HL080258/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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