The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
-
J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Apr 2002
Intranasal steroids and the risk of emergency department visits for asthma.
In patients with asthma, treatment for associated conditions, such as rhinitis, is recommended. It is unknown whether this treatment can reduce the risk for emergency department (ED) visits for asthma. ⋯ Treatment of nasal conditions, particularly with intranasal steroids, confers significant protection against exacerbations of asthma leading to ED visits for asthma. These results support the use of intranasal steroids by individuals with asthma and upper airways conditions.
-
Most of the studies investigating the role of leukotrienes (LTs) and prostaglandins (PGs) in asthma have used invasive (eg, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) or semi-invasive (eg, sputum induction) techniques. Others have measured eicosanoids in plasma or urine, probably reflecting systemic rather than lung inflammation. Collection of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a noninvasive method to collect airway secretions. ⋯ Exhaled LTE(4) and LTB(4) are increased in steroid-naive patients with mild asthma. EBC may be proved to be a novel method to monitor airway inflammation in asthma.