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Factors determining airway caliber in asthma
Brian C Harvey1, Kenneth R Lutchen1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.
Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering
|June 19, 2014
Summary
Airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma involves excessive airway narrowing due to smooth muscle constriction. This review explores structural and functional changes leading to this condition.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Airway hyperresponsiveness is a key feature of asthma, characterized by excessive airway narrowing.
- Smooth muscle constriction is the primary driver of airway narrowing during asthma exacerbations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the structural and functional factors governing airway caliber.
- To understand how these factors are altered in asthma, leading to airway hyperresponsiveness.
- To examine the interplay between airway remodeling, inflammation, and their roles in asthma.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on airway physiology and asthma.
- Analysis of forces influencing airway caliber (narrowing vs. opposing forces).
- Examination of the role of breathing dynamics (tidal breathing, deep inspirations) across respiratory system scales.
Main Results:
- Airway caliber is determined by an equilibrium of forces.
- An inconsistency in data regarding breathing dynamics across different scales was identified.
- Airway remodeling and inflammation are significant contributors to asthma pathology.
Conclusions:
- Asthma involves complex alterations in airway structure and function.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for managing asthma.
- The interaction between remodeling and inflammation is central to asthma pathogenesis.
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