[PAF receptor antagonist in asthma therapy]

Platelet-activating factor (PAF), proposed as an important inflammatory mediator in asthma, reproduces several of the features of asthma, such as micro vascular leakage, mucus secretion, broncoconstriction, and possibly increased airway responsiveness. The recognition that PAF may be a central mediator in asthma has been a relatively recent event, so that those interested in asthma research may be unfamiliar with the chemistry, biochemistry and biology of this material. It seemed appropriate therefore to assemble a group of expert investigators to make presentations and to discuss the current status of PAF research with a specific bias toward asthma. In this way, it has been possible to focus upon PAF in asthma and to provide the necessary background for consideration of the effects of existing antiasthma drugs to suppress pulmonary responses to PAF. The capacity of existing antiasthma drugs to suppress pulmonary responses to PAF implies that this will be necessary feature of many of the newer antiasthma drugs and this knowledge allows a more balanced judgment of the prospects for PAF receptor antagonists in this disease.