Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by reversible airway obstruction and airway hyperresponsiveness to non-specific bronchoconstriction agonists as the primary underlying pathophysiology. The worldwide incidence of asthma has increased dramatically in the last 40 years. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, over 300 million children and adults worldwide curre...

BACKGROUND Cough is a major symptom in some children with asthma. The relationship between cough and the severity of asthma is ill defined. A study was undertaken to test the hypotheses that, in children with asthma who cough as a major part of their asthma symptoms, cough receptor sensitivity (CRS) is heightened during an acute severe exacerbation of asthma but not in the non-acute phase and a...

INTRODUCTION Smederevo is the only town in Serbia with a steel factory, whose exhausts contribute to air pollution. Therefore, the city conducts continuous monitoring of air quality. In recent years, high levels of particulate matter (PM) including coarse (PM₁₀) and fine (PM₂.₅) particles in the air have frequently been recorded. The aim of this study was to assess association between exacerbat...

BACKGROUND Omalizumab is a non-steroidal medication indicated for the treatment of poorly controlled moderate-to-severe allergic asthmatics. This observational study examines the "real world" effectiveness of omalizumab in this population. METHODS This is a one year open-label observational study that compared clinical outcomes including total oral corticosteroid use, exacerbation history, me...

BACKGROUND The Gly-to-Arg substitution at the 16 position (rs1042713) in the β2-adrenoceptor gene (ADRB2) is associated with enhanced downregulation and uncoupling of β2-receptors. OBJECTIVES We sought to undertake a meta-analysis to test the hypothesis that there is an interaction between the A allele of rs1042713 (Arg16 amino acid) and long-acting β-agonist (LABA) exposure for asthma exacer...

Self-management plans are considered today an essential component of the management of asthma. The objective of the present study was (a) to explore patients' present practical knowledge of self-treatment of asthma, and (b) to provide an assessment of the effect of an educational program on this knowledge and self-treatment behaviour. Twenty four adults with asthma from the outpatient clinic of...

BACKGROUND Asthma exacerbations are major contributors to asthma morbidity and rather difficult to treat. There is inconclusive evidence that macrolide antibiotics may have an effect on asthma exacerbations through their antibacterial and/or anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of clarithromycin on medium-term asthma activity when given as an add-on th...

BACKGROUND Little is known on the scope and nature of ethnic inequalities in suboptimal asthma care for children. This study aimed to assess (1) ethnic differences in suboptimal asthma care for children with an asthma exacerbation who consulted a physician, and (2) ethnic differences in the nature of suboptimal care. METHODS All children aged 6-16 years who during a period of six months consu...

STUDY OBJECTIVE Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) treatment is first-line maintenance therapy in bronchial asthma. However, it is not clear whether and when ICS treatment can be withdrawn. The aim of this open study was to assess whether normalization of bronchial responsiveness could be used as a reliable index to assess the opportunity of ICS treatment withdrawal. DESIGN Open study at two differ...

BACKGROUND The perception of airway narrowing is reduced in subjects with severe asthma and may be related to the severity of airway inflammation. A study was undertaken to determine if the perception of airway narrowing changes during the reduction of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose or during an asthma exacerbation. METHODS Forty two asthmatic subjects with well controlled asthma had their...