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Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
Peripubertal Changes in Asthma
Alexandra E Silva1,2, Giuliana Ferrante3,4, Patricia Silveyra5
1Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, and Sleep Medicine, Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Abstract:
Asthma is a heterogeneous disease affecting nearly 300 million people around the world. It is the most common chronic respiratory disease of childhood. There are significant sex differences in asthma incidence, severity, and morbidity around the time of puberty. The reasons for these peri-pubertal changes around the time of puberty are still not fully understood but they are likely multifactorial. In this review, we will discuss several proposed contributing mechanisms, including sex differences in anatomy and development, the effects of sex hormones on airway inflammation and reactivity, the immunomodulatory effects of sex hormones, differences in mucociliary function, and sex differences in genetic and epigenetic factors.
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