Type-2 inflammation: a key treatable trait associated with lung function decline in chronic airways disease

The chronic airways diseases, asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), are highly prevalent conditions causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Both are acknowledged to be heterogeneous with respect to clinical presentation, prognosis and driving mechanisms.1 Type-2 airway inflammation is arguably the most important and treatable underlying mechanism to identify,1 as it can be successfully targeted by inhaled and systemic corticosteroids,2 3 or by biological therapies (anti-IL5/IL5R, anti-IL4/IL4R/IL13 and anti-TSLP) in patients with refractory disease.4 Type-2 airway inflammation is not only a key driver of morbidity and mortality but can be identifiable with two easily accessible biomarkers: the peripheral blood eosinophil count (BEC) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO).5 There is consistent and compelling evidence linking raised type-2 biomarkers to exacerbation frequency6 7 and increased risk of exposure to oral corticosteroids with their...
Source: Thorax - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Thorax Editorial Source Type: research