Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Asthma-II: Pathophysiology and Classification

Asthma-II: Pathophysiology and Classification

Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory condition marked by inflammation and hyperresponsiveness of the airways. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among inflammatory pathways, immune responses, and neural mechanisms.
Additionally, environmental and genetic factors play crucial roles in determining an individual's susceptibility to asthma and the severity of their condition.
Critical processes in asthma pathophysiology include:

Asthma I: Introduction

Asthma I: Introduction

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by variable airflow obstruction and heightened bronchial responsiveness to a wide range of triggers. The underlying inflammation leads to airway swelling, mucus hypersecretion, and smooth muscle constriction, all of which narrow the airway lumen and impede airflow. Clinically, asthma presents with recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, symptoms that typically vary in intensity and...

Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications

Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications

Asthma, a common chronic respiratory condition, is classified considering the frequency and severity of symptoms alongside lung function impairment. Understanding this classification is essential for appropriate treatment and management. Here's a detailed look at the classification of asthma and its clinical features and complications:
Classification of Asthma

Asthma: Pathogenesis and Management

Asthma: Pathogenesis and Management

Asthma is a chronic pulmonary condition involving inflammation of the airways, hyper-reactivity, and reversible obstruction of the airways. This condition can significantly impact a person's quality of life, making breathing difficult and leading to distressing symptoms.
Asthma is classified as allergic and non-allergic. Allergens such as dust mites, pollen, and pet dander trigger allergic asthma, while factors like cold air, intense emotions, or exercise can induce non-allergic asthma.

Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management

Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management

The diagnosis and management of asthma are comprehensive, encompassing clinical assessments, lung function tests, and pharmacological interventions. Here's an overview:
Clinical Assessment for Asthma:
This is the first step in diagnosing and managing asthma. It includes:

Asthma-I: Introduction

Asthma-I: Introduction

Asthma is a chronic respiratory ailment that requires careful management due to its varying symptoms and influencing factors. It is characterized by airway inflammation, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and reversible airflow obstruction, leading to symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. The symptom frequency and intensity may vary considerably over time. It is also linked to immune system responses to allergens and irritants, highlighting the complex...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Senicapoc in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis or Other Progressive Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Diseases: Protocol for a Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicentre Phase II Trial.

Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Validation of the English Drug Hypersensitivity Quality of Life Questionnaire (DrHy-Q).

Allergy·2026

Same author

The KCa3.1 K<sup>+</sup> Channel and Cardiovascular Disease: An Upstream Target Linking Inflammation, Fibrosis and Electrical Instability.

Cells·2026

Same author

Global asthma and pest control: bugs and WASPs.

Thorax·2026

Same author

Does Adherence to Inhaled Corticosteroids/Long-Acting β<sub>2</sub>-Agonists Matter in Patients With Severe Asthma Receiving Biologic Therapies?

The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice·2025

Same author

Urinary thromboxane and isoprostane levels are elevated in symptom-high T2-biomarker-low severe asthma.

ERJ open research·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

The reclassification of asthma based on subphenotypes.

Ruth H Green¹, Chris E Brightling, Peter Bradding

¹Department of Respiratory Medicine, Glenfield Hospital, Groby Road, Leicester, UK. ruth.green@uhl-tr.nhs.uk

Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology

|January 16, 2007

Summary

Asthma classification is evolving. Identifying inflammatory subphenotypes like eosinophilic or neutrophilic asthma improves understanding of disease causes and treatment responses.

Related Experiment Videos

Area of Science:

Pulmonology
Immunology
Allergy

Background:

Asthma is recognized as a heterogeneous condition, yet a unified classification system remains elusive.
Recent research highlights the potential of classifying asthma based on airway inflammation patterns (subphenotypes).

Purpose of the Study:

To review the literature on asthma subphenotypes and their clinical relevance.
To place current research on asthma classification within a historical context.
To propose a novel approach for improved asthma subtyping.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on asthma classification and inflammatory markers.
Analysis of studies identifying distinct asthma phenotypes.
Discussion of refractory asthma as a specific phenotype.

Main Results:

Noninvasive markers suggest four asthma phenotypes: eosinophilic, neutrophilic, mixed inflammatory, and paucigranulocytic.
These phenotypes exhibit differences in etiology, immunopathology, and treatment response.
Refractory asthma shows distal airway inflammation and tumor necrosis factor-alpha axis upregulation.

Conclusions:

Current asthma classification systems have limitations.
Identifying inflammatory subphenotypes is crucial for understanding asthma heterogeneity.
Novel treatment strategies are emerging, emphasizing the importance of subphenotype-targeted approaches.