Central inflammation is more important than peripheral inflammation.

Inflammation is present in the airways of asthma patients even during stable periods of the disease. In post-mortem samples of the proximal airways, inflammation can be visualised as T-cell infiltration of the bronchial wall. Lymphocyte accumulation is also evident around the small airways, indicating that inflammation is present in the peripheral regions of the lungs. However, the major inflammatory events associated with asthma appear to occur in the proximal airways.