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Small Airway Disease in Asthma and COPD

2011; Elsevier BV; Volume: 139; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1378/chest.10-1210

1931-3543

Maarten van den Berge, Nick H.T. ten Hacken, Judith Cohen, W. Rob Douma, Dirkje S. Postma,

Respiratory and Cough-Related Research

Asthma and COPD have a high personal, societal, and economic impact. Both diseases are characterized by airway obstruction and an inflammatory process. The inflammatory process affects the whole respiratory tract, from central to peripheral airways that are <2 mm in internal diameter, the so-called small airways. There is an increased interest in small airway disease, and some new insights have been gained about the contribution of these small airways to the clinical expression of asthma and COPD, as reviewed in this article. Newly developed devices enable drugs to target the small airways, and this may have implications for treatment of patients with asthma, particularly those not responding to large-particle inhaled corticosteroids or those with uncontrollable asthma. The first studies in COPD are promising, and results from new studies are eagerly awaited. Asthma and COPD have a high personal, societal, and economic impact. Both diseases are characterized by airway obstruction and an inflammatory process. The inflammatory process affects the whole respiratory tract, from central to peripheral airways that are <2 mm in internal diameter, the so-called small airways. There is an increased interest in small airway disease, and some new insights have been gained about the contribution of these small airways to the clinical expression of asthma and COPD, as reviewed in this article. Newly developed devices enable drugs to target the small airways, and this may have implications for treatment of patients with asthma, particularly those not responding to large-particle inhaled corticosteroids or those with uncontrollable asthma. The first studies in COPD are promising, and results from new studies are eagerly awaited. Correction to Legend of Figure 2: Small Airway Disease in Asthma and COPD: Clinical ImplicationsCHESTVol. 139Issue 4PreviewCorrected Legend: It has come to our attention that the legend of Figure 2 in the article entitled, "Small Airway Disease in Asthma and COPD: Clinical Implications," published in the February 2011 issue of CHEST (2011;139(2):412-423) misidentified the panels. The legend should read as follows: Full-Text PDF