The prevalence of current asthma is common among the elderly, and active smoking may play an important role in the development of asthma and bronchial hyper-responsiveness among the elderly.

No abstract

C. pneumoniae infection enhanced the proliferation and survival of immune and inflammatory cells, resulting in steroid resistance. The reversal of these phenomena by the TNF-alpha inhibitor suggests that TNF-alpha may play an important role in the induction of steroid dependence or resistance. A TNF-alpha inhibitor may therefore be a candidate agent for managing steroid-dependent or -resistant severe asthma.

Non-synonymous SNPs of ADRB2 at codons 16 and 27 is significantly associated with bronchodilating response to inhaled short acting beta-agonists.