PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Douwes, J
AU  - Gibson, P
AU  - Pekkanen, J
AU  - Pearce, N
TI  - Non-eosinophilic asthma: importance and possible mechanisms
AID  - 10.1136/thorax.57.7.643
DP  - 2002 Jul 01
TA  - Thorax
PG  - 643--648
VI  - 57
IP  - 7
4099  - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/57/7/643.short
4100  - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/57/7/643.full
SO  - Thorax2002 Jul 01; 57
AB  - There is increasing evidence that inflammatory mechanisms other than eosinophilic inflammation may be involved in producing the final common pathway of enhanced bronchial reactivity and reversible airflow obstruction that characterises asthma. A review of the literature has shown that, at most, only 50% of asthma cases are attributable to eosinophilic airway inflammation. It is hypothesised that a major proportion of asthma is based on neutrophilic airway inflammation, possibly triggered by environmental exposure to bacterial endotoxin, particulate air pollution, and ozone, as well as viral infections. If there are indeed two (or more) subtypes of asthma, and if non-eosinophilic (neutrophil mediated) asthma is relatively common, this would have major consequences for the treatment and prevention of asthma since most treatment and prevention strategies are now almost entirely focused on allergic/eosinophilic asthma and allergen avoidance measures, respectively. It is therefore important to study the aetiology of asthma further, including the underlying inflammatory profiles.