IntroductionThe prevalence of bronchial asthma, which is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway, is increasing worldwide. Although inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) play a central role in the treatment of asthma, they cannot achieve good control for all asthmatics and medications such as leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) with bronchodilatory and anti-inflammatory effects often serve as alternatives or add-on drugs. Several issues such as predicted responses, effects of peripheral airway and airway remodeling and alternative administration routes remain to be clarified before LTRAs PAGE 3 could serve a more effective role in the treatment of asthma.
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