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Review
. 2006 Apr;130(4):447-51.
doi: 10.5858/2006-130-447-APAP.

Asthma: pathology and pathophysiology

Roberto J Barrios  1 , Farrah Kheradmand, LaKeisha Batts, David B Corry
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Asthma: pathology and pathophysiology

Roberto J Barrios et al. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2006 Apr.
Free article

Abstract

Context: Asthma has been defined as a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that is associated with recruitment of inflammatory cells and the clinical development of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough. Asthma is a major public health issue. It affects 5% of the United States population and accounts for 2 million emergency department visits, 470,000 hospitalizations, and 4500 deaths annually.

Objective: To review the pathophysiology and characteristic pathologic patterns of this disease and discuss the possible mechanisms of production of the lesions.

Data sources: We searched the literature using MEDLINE and OVID. We also searched related conference abstracts and bibliographies of selected studies.

Conclusions: There has been a significant evolution in our understanding of asthma. Specific pathways and mechanisms in recent years have been studied; however, numerous mediators and cell receptors have raised new questions that remain to be answered.

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