EDITORIAL
Polymorphisms and asthma exacerbations
Genetic variability of the ß2 adrenergic receptor and asthma exacerbations
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr S B Liggett
Cardiopulmonary Genomics Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-1075, USA; sligg001@umaryland.edu
Predictive value of genetic tests for asthma exacerbations
Keywords: asthma; children; polymorphism; salmeterol; ADRB2
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
The treatment of asthma remains a formidable task for clinicians, despite the development of new treatment options such as long acting ß agonists, potent inhaled corticosteroids, and leukotriene receptor antagonists. The complexities in treatment arise not only from temporal changes in the clinical status of patients (such as viral infections and allergy exposures), but also from the well recognised variability between individuals in the response to treatment. This variability is found with the most widely used treatment for asthma—the ß agonists—which act to dilate constricted airways by binding to the ß2 adrenoceptor on airway smooth muscle. It has been suggested that up to 50% of the variability in response to ß agonists between individuals has a genetic basis.1 Beta agonists evoke smooth muscle relaxation in airways that have become constricted from virtually any spasmogen, so it is no wonder they have a central role in treating
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This article has been cited by other articles:
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Martin, J. G., Jo, T.
(2008). Genetic Differences in Airway Smooth Muscle Function. Proc Am Thorac Soc
5: 73-79
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