Non-invasive measurement of airway inflammation in asthma

Assessing the severity and control of a patient's asthma is of great importance to ensure that pharmacotherapy is optimized. Measures such as lung function, symptoms, and reliever use have traditionally been used as objective means of undertaking this assessment, but until now the level of airway inflammation has not been quantified. As asthma is primarily an inflammatory disorder, it would be desirable to include a measure of this process when evaluating disease control. The following article outlines methods of non-invasively measuring asthmatic airway inflammation and highlights their potential role in clinical practice.