Asthma mucus production

Th2 lymphocytes are one of the primary factors initiating and perpetuating the inflammatory response.7 In addition, proinflammatory mediators such as the leukotrienes generated during mast cell degranulation can increase vascular permeability, leading to airway edema and increased mucus production.8 Eosinophilic infiltration of the airways is a hallmark of asthma, and activated eosinophils can cause bronchoconstriction and AHR.9... 

Corticosteroids are the most potent anti-inflammatory agents available for the treatment of asthma. The efficacy of corticosteroids is due to their ability to affect multiple inflammatory pathways, resulting in the suppression of inflammatory cell activation and function, prevention of microvascular leakage, decreased mucus production, and upregulation of P2-adrenergic receptors.10,18 Clinically, corticosteroids decrease airway inflammation, decrease AHR, decrease mucus production and secretion, and improve the response to P2-agonists.18 Corticosteroids for the treatment of asthma are available in inhaled, oral, and injectable dosage forms. 

It regulates mucus production, inflammation, fibrosis and tissue remodeling. IL-13 is a therapeutic target for a number of disease states including asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, ulcerative colitis, cancer and others. Its signaling is mediated via IL-4 type 2 receptor. The receptor consists of IL-4Ra and IL-13Ral and IL-13Ra2 chains. 

T lymphocytes and mast cells are involved in the production of mucus, oedema, smooth muscle hypertrophy and this can lead to mucus production and epithelial damage. If asthma is chronic it can lead to inflammation associated with irreversible bronchoconstriction. 

If patients need to use the reliever more than three times a week, they are usually also prescribed a preventer inhaler containing a corticosteroid, such as beclometasone diproprionate, budesonide or fluticasone proprionate. Corticosteroids decrease airway inflammation, reducing airway oedema and mucus production. When used regularly they are prophylactic and reduce the frequency of asthma. 

Asthma is defined clinically by recurrent episodes of airway obstruction that reverse either spontaneously or with bronchodilator therapy. The airway obstruction is accompanied by increase in airway resistance due to bronchospasm, inflammation, and excessive mucus production. Bronchoconstriction, airway closure, and gas trapping may eventually lead to respiratory failure. Hyperresponsiveness is considered a hallmark of asthma, making these individuals uniquely sensitive to exposure to airborne chemicals such as isocyanates. 

Histologic features in the airways of patients with OA are similar to those found in individuals with non-occupational asthma (NOA). Common pathologic sequelae include airway smooth muscle hypertrophy, mucosal oedema, increased mucus production from greater numbers of mucous secreting glands and goblet cells, and deposition of collagen beneath the basement membrane (Fabbri et al., 1993). BAL fluids from normal, NOA and OA subjects have similar inflammatory-cell count distributions (90 to 95 per cent alveolar... 

The pharmacological treatment of established emphysema resembles that of asthma largely because the inflammatory/bronchospastic component of a patient s disease is the aspect amenable to therapy. For patients with emphysema who have a significant degree of active inflammation with bronchospasm and excessive mucus production, symptomatic use of inhaled ipratropium or a adrenergic agonist may be helpful. Ipratropium or tiotropium usually produces about the same... 

Asthma is a reversible obstructive disease of the lower airway. With asthma there is increasing airway obstruction caused by bronchospasm and bronchoconstriction, inflammation and edema of the lining of the bronchioles, and the production of thick mucus that can plug the airway (see Pig. 37-1). There are three types of asthma ... 

Asthma is a disease characterized by reversible airways obstruction and increased responsiveness of the airways to specific and nonspecific bronchocon-strictor stimuli. Indeed, the latter feature may be used in diagnosis of asthma (vide infra). Obstruction to the flow of air in asthma is the product of three factors smooth muscle contraction, mucosal edema, and augmented mucus secretion. Pathological features, such as infiltration of the airway walls with inflammatory cells (e.g., eosinophils, neutrophils), and the efficacy of antiinflammatory steroids in treating the disease have pointed to an important role of inflammation in the disease process. 

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