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Asthma: the importance of epithelial mesenchymal communication in pathogenesis. Inflammation and the airway epithelium in asthma

Asthma: the importance of epithelial mesenchymal communication in pathogenesis. Inflammation and the airway epithelium in asthma
Asthma: the importance of epithelial mesenchymal communication in pathogenesis. Inflammation and the airway epithelium in asthma
Asthma is a disorder of the airways in which Th-2-mediated inflammation is considered to provide the basis for altered structure and function that leads to bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) and variable airflow obstruction. This linear progression underpinning asthma pathophysiology is questioned on the basis of observations on the pathology of the disease in early childhood, the independent genetic factors that influence atopy and BHR, incomplete responses to treatment with corticosteroids despite powerful anti-inflammatory effects and the recent disappointing results with targeted therapies that almost abolish eosinophilia in the blood and airways and yet produce little effect on the clinical outcomes of asthma. An alternative hypothesis is put forward in which atopy/airway inflammation and altered structure and function of the formed airway elements are parallel but interacting factors. For asthma to develop as a chronic disease, genetic and environmental factors that drive each of these components are required. Fundamental to this is the concept of aberrant signalling between the airway epithelium and underlying mesenchyme and persistent activation of the epithelial mesenchymal trophic unit.
asthma, mesenchyme, eosinophilia
1357-2725
1520-1526
Davies, D.E.
7de8fdc7-3640-4e3a-aa91-d0e03f990c38
Holgate, S.T.
2e7c17a9-6796-436e-8772-1fe6d2ac5edc
Davies, D.E.
7de8fdc7-3640-4e3a-aa91-d0e03f990c38
Holgate, S.T.
2e7c17a9-6796-436e-8772-1fe6d2ac5edc

Davies, D.E. and Holgate, S.T. (2002) Asthma: the importance of epithelial mesenchymal communication in pathogenesis. Inflammation and the airway epithelium in asthma. International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 34 (12), 1520-1526. (doi:10.1016/S1357-2725(02)00048-1).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Asthma is a disorder of the airways in which Th-2-mediated inflammation is considered to provide the basis for altered structure and function that leads to bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) and variable airflow obstruction. This linear progression underpinning asthma pathophysiology is questioned on the basis of observations on the pathology of the disease in early childhood, the independent genetic factors that influence atopy and BHR, incomplete responses to treatment with corticosteroids despite powerful anti-inflammatory effects and the recent disappointing results with targeted therapies that almost abolish eosinophilia in the blood and airways and yet produce little effect on the clinical outcomes of asthma. An alternative hypothesis is put forward in which atopy/airway inflammation and altered structure and function of the formed airway elements are parallel but interacting factors. For asthma to develop as a chronic disease, genetic and environmental factors that drive each of these components are required. Fundamental to this is the concept of aberrant signalling between the airway epithelium and underlying mesenchyme and persistent activation of the epithelial mesenchymal trophic unit.

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More information

Published date: 2002
Keywords: asthma, mesenchyme, eosinophilia

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 27014
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/27014
ISSN: 1357-2725
PURE UUID: f0cbda09-6788-491a-a3e3-7ab385ff5902
ORCID for D.E. Davies: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5117-2991

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 25 Apr 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:34

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