[Bronchial hyperreactivity: pathomechanisms, diagnosis and perspectives of therapy]

Bronchial asthma is a problem with increasing importance for health care. Bronchial hyperreactivity can be considered as the precondition of the development of bronchial asthma. The biological and pathophysiological activities of the phospholipid mediators discovered during the last years induced considerable progress in the research of pathogenesis in bronchial asthma. Thus, a central role of leucotrienes, HPETE and PAF in regulation of bronchomotoric actions is suggested. From recent epidemiologic and clinical research certain risk factors of manifestation of bronchial asthma can be derived. At present, theoretical, completely new therapeutical concepts are directed on inhibition of synthesis or receptor antagonism in different levels of the phospholipid metabolism.