Inflammation and Treatment in Asthma and COPD

By James F. Donohue, MD, FCCP; and Jill A. Ohar, MD, FCCP

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Asthma

Airway Wall Remodeling

Chronic inflammation of the airways may result in irreversible airflow limitation and altered airway structure, known as remodeling. It is characterized by airway smooth muscle hypertrophy secondary to prolonged smooth muscle dysfunction, new vessel formation, goblet cell hyperplasia, increased deposition of matrix protein, basement-membrane thickening, and occlusion of the bronchial lumen by mucus.

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