Chest
Volume 130, Issue 4, October 2006, Pages 1203-1210
Journal home page for Chest

Translating Basic Research Into Clinical Practice
How Viral Infections Cause Exacerbation of Airway Diseases

https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.130.4.1203Get rights and content

Exacerbations of asthma and COPD are major causes of morbidity, mortality, and health-care costs. Over the last decade, studies using new molecular diagnostic techniques have established that respiratory viruses are a major cause of exacerbations of both asthma and COPD. The most prevalent viruses detected during exacerbations are the rhinoviruses. Despite the burden of disease associated with exacerbations, little is known about the mechanisms of virus-induced exacerbations of airway diseases. Exacerbations are associated with increased airway inflammation in patients with both asthma and COPD, but many questions remain unanswered regarding the key inflammatory cells and mediators involved. Identifying the key inflammatory mediators involved in exacerbations holds the promise of developing diagnostic and prognostic markers of exacerbation. In addition, such studies can identify new therapeutic targets for the development of novel drugs for the prevention and treatment of exacerbations.

Key words

asthma
COPD
exacerbations
viruses

Abbreviations

ENA
epithelial-derived neutrophil attractant
IFN
interferon
IL
interleukin
LTB4
leukotriene B4
NF
nuclear factor
PCR
polymerase chain reaction
RANTES
regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted
Th
T helper
TLR
Toll-like receptor
TNF
tumor necrosis factor

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The authors have reported to the ACCP that no significant conflicts of interest exist with any companies/organizations whose products or services may be discussed in this article.

Reproduction of this article is prohibited without written permission from the American College of Chest Physicians (www.chestjournal.org/misc/reprints.shtml).

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