Asthma etiology

McFadden, E. R., Jr. (1987). Exercise-mduced asthma Assessment of current etiologic concepts. Chest 91, 151s-157s,... 

Other failures will result from differences in disease etiology, although responders and nonresponders may have the same or very similar symptoms and signs before treatment is started. Some asthmatics do not respond to drugs that block the synthesis of leukotrienes because leukotrienes do not account for their asthma (Drazen et al., 1999). 

Thus the total soil pollution was connected with a respiratory system and a digestive tract. Both systems were also sensitive to such urban pollutants as heavy metals and PAH. For radionuclides the correlation with the given nosologies was not revealed. The asthma morbidity was mostly connected with soil pollution rates. This circumstance, apparently, can be related to nonspecific action of pollutants on a human organism, because the etiology of asthma is connected with the human immune defense system and allergy state (Roite, 1991). The last was shown for pesticides (Nikolaev et al., 1988) and heavy metals (Drouet et al., 1990). The sensitized immune system is, apparently, responsible for chronic toxic effects of other pollutants at low doses (Sidorenko et al., 1991 Novak and Magnussen, 1993). 

Extensive studies have been done on a clearly defined asthma syndrome produced by exposure to western red cedar. ° Plicatic acid has been identified as the etiologic agent. The western red cedar asthma syndrome includes rhinitis, conjunctivitis, wheezing, cough, and nocturnal attacks of breathlessness characterized by a precipitous decline in FEVi. There is no apparent relation between skin sensitivity and respiratory changes. No precipitating IgG antibodies are found in the serum of sensitized individuals, and circulating IgE antibodies are present in about one-third of affected individuals. 

Theophylline reduces contractile activity of smooth musculature, widens bronchi and blood vessels, reduces pulmonary vascular resistance, stimulates the respiratory center, and increases the frequency and power of cardiac contractions. It is used for bronchial asthma, preventing attacks, and systematic treatment. Theophylline is also used for symptomatic treatment of bronchospastic syndrome of a different etiology (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, and pulmonary emphysema). A large number of combined drags are based on theophylline. Synonyms of theophylline are adophyllin, asthmophyllin, theocin, and many others. 

Lucas SR, Platts-Mills TA. Physical activity and exercise in asthma relevance to etiology and treatment. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 115 928-934. 

Miller, A.L. The etiologies, pathophysiology, and altema-tive/complementary treatment of asthma. Altem. Med. Rev. 2001, 6, 20 7. 

Grasemann, H. Genetics of the neuronal NO synthase (NOSl) in the etiology of bronchial asthma. Pneumologie 2001, 55, 390-395. 

Our inability to defend ourselves against new chemicals and mixtures often results in epidemics of disease. For example, asthma, autism, infertility, and many cancers affect different parts of the body and seemingly have different etiologies. All, however, can be related to a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental exposure to chemicals. All are less prevalent where chemical exposures are lower, for example, in rural areas. All have known single chemical exposure causes and they can all be related to low level exposure to chemical mixtures. The toxic effects of chemical mixtures are explored in the chapters that follow. 

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