Institute of Lung Health, Leicester, UK.
Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2007 Jun 15;3(2):60-9. doi: 10.1186/1710-1492-3-2-60.
: Despite asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease being widely regarded as heterogeneous diseases, a consensus for an accurate system of classification has not been agreed. Recent studies have suggested that the recognition of subphenotypes of airway disease based on the pattern of airway inflammation may be particularly useful in increasing our understanding of the disease. The use of non-invasive markers of airway inflammation has suggested the presence of four distinct phenotypes: eosinophilic, neutrophilic, mixed inflammatory and paucigranulocytic asthma. Recent studies suggest that these subgroups may differ in their etiology, immunopathology and response to treatment. Importantly, novel treatment approaches targeted at specific patterns of airway inflammation are emerging, making an appreciation of subphenotypes particularly relevant. New developments in phenotyping inflammation and other facets of airway disease mean that we are entering an era where careful phenotyping will lead to targeted therapy.
: 尽管哮喘和慢性阻塞性肺疾病被广泛认为是异质性疾病，但尚未达成关于准确分类系统的共识。最近的研究表明，基于气道炎症模式识别气道疾病的亚表型可能特别有助于加深我们对该疾病的理解。气道炎症的非侵入性标志物的使用表明存在四种不同的表型：嗜酸性粒细胞、中性粒细胞、混合性炎症和少粒细胞性哮喘。最近的研究表明，这些亚组在病因、免疫病理学和对治疗的反应方面可能存在差异。重要的是，针对特定气道炎症模式的新型治疗方法正在出现，这使得对亚表型的认识变得尤为重要。在炎症表型和气道疾病其他方面的新进展意味着我们正在进入一个精准表型分析将导致靶向治疗的时代。
