[Importance of the distal airway in COPD]

Borja G Cosío; Jaime Rodríguez Rosado

doi:10.1016/S0300-2896(11)70019-9

[Importance of the distal airway in COPD]

Arch Bronconeumol. 2011 Apr:47 Suppl 2:32-7. doi: 10.1016/S0300-2896(11)70019-9.

[Article in Spanish]

Authors

Borja G Cosío¹, Jaime Rodríguez Rosado

Affiliation

¹ Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Islas Baleares, España. [email protected]

PMID: 21640283
DOI: 10.1016/S0300-2896(11)70019-9

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by inflammation causing airflow obstruction. However, the initial histological lesion of COPD occurs in the respiratory bronchiole and spirometry is unable to detect involvement of this area until the disease is advanced. Major advances have been made in characterizing the inflammatory process in the small airways. However, in clinical practice, a non-invasive marker of small airways involvement, which would allow injury and the effect of treatment to be monitored, is lacking. To date, the combination of bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids is recommended for the most severe cases, although the effects of this therapeutic option on the small airways are not well known. New treatments that reach the distal airways and novel techniques to assess the small airways will allow a more complete approach to this disease.

Publication types

English Abstract
Review

MeSH terms

Airway Obstruction / etiology
Airway Remodeling* / physiology
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / administration & dosage
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
Biomarkers / analysis
Bronchi / pathology*
Bronchioles / pathology
Bronchiolitis / complications
Bronchiolitis / diagnosis
Bronchiolitis / pathology
Bronchiolitis / physiopathology
Bronchodilator Agents / administration & dosage
Bronchodilator Agents / pharmacology
Bronchodilator Agents / therapeutic use
Disease Progression
Drug Therapy, Combination
Humans
Inflammation
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Pulmonary Alveoli / pathology
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / drug therapy
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / metabolism
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / pathology
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / physiopathology*
Respiratory Function Tests
Smoking / adverse effects
Spirometry
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods

Substances

Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Biomarkers
Bronchodilator Agents