An estimated 300 million people suffer from asthma worldwide, which is a major public health problem [1]. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that affects the entire bronchial tree. The small airways, i.e. <2 mm diameter, can be affected by inflammation and remodelling, resulting in changes occurring in the smooth muscle cells and the surrounding tissue. These changes all contribute to dysfunction of the small airways, which may contribute to the clinical expression of asthma [2]. However, their contribution to asthma control and exacerbations has been minimally investigated and the majority of studies performed have only occurred in cross-sectional, small-sized patient groups with a narrow spectrum of severity. Small airways function can be assessed with invasive and non-invasive techniques, including physiological and radiographic testing, in addition to direct and indirect assessments of inflammation. These tests are usually only available in specialised chest clinics, requiring the use of trained staff with good quality standards [3]. Unfortunately, there is no gold standard tool, or an easy-to-apply measure, available in which to assess small airways dysfunction (SAD). Thus, there is an unmet need to identify SAD easily and correctly across all severities of asthma, and to assess its role in the control of the disease.
Unmet needs for the assessment of small airways dysfunction in asthma: introduction to the ATLANTIS study
PAPI, Alberto;
2015
Abstract
An estimated 300 million people suffer from asthma worldwide, which is a major public health problem [1]. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that affects the entire bronchial tree. The small airways, i.e. <2 mm diameter, can be affected by inflammation and remodelling, resulting in changes occurring in the smooth muscle cells and the surrounding tissue. These changes all contribute to dysfunction of the small airways, which may contribute to the clinical expression of asthma [2]. However, their contribution to asthma control and exacerbations has been minimally investigated and the majority of studies performed have only occurred in cross-sectional, small-sized patient groups with a narrow spectrum of severity. Small airways function can be assessed with invasive and non-invasive techniques, including physiological and radiographic testing, in addition to direct and indirect assessments of inflammation. These tests are usually only available in specialised chest clinics, requiring the use of trained staff with good quality standards [3]. Unfortunately, there is no gold standard tool, or an easy-to-apply measure, available in which to assess small airways dysfunction (SAD). Thus, there is an unmet need to identify SAD easily and correctly across all severities of asthma, and to assess its role in the control of the disease.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
