Airway inflammation in asthma and its consequences: implications for treatment in children and adults

The development and wide availability of novel research techniques such as bronchoscopy and induced sputum have enhanced our understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma. The appreciation of the inflammatory nature of asthma and the remodeling associated with chronic disease have undoubtedly led to improved disease management and a better understanding of how anti-asthma drugs work. Although extensive data about inflammation and its sequelae in children are lacking, both chronic inflammation and airway remodeling are more than likely to be involved in the development and progression of asthma in this young population. Indeed, evidence suggests that airway restructuring occurs early. The implications for treatment in any differences of inflammation and remodeling between children and adults, then, are likely to be important. Although corticosteroids are considered as first-line anti-inflammatory treatment, especially in chronic asthma, for many patients neither inhaled nor oral corticosteroid therapy can control inflammation adequately. In children, neither the addition of long-acting beta(2)-agonist therapy nor doubling of the corticosteroid dose has produced the same benefits seen in adults. A clearer understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of asthma in adults and pediatric patients should provide new insights into different asthma phenotypes. Therefore, the development and application of relatively simple and safe methods for assessing markers of inflammation and alterations in the airways are vital, especially for children.