Oxidant stress in asthma.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract of unknown aetiology. In severe asthma airway diathesis is profound, and thus apparent. Recently, however, evidence has indicated that specific inflammatory abnormalities exist even in the airways of subjects with mild disease. As inflammation is often associated with an increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the biochemical environment in the asthmatic airways is favourable for free radical mediated reactions, it is rational to surmise that an oxidant stress could be mechanistically important in asthma.