Rubor (redness), tumor (swelling), calor (heat), and dolor (pain)
are the classical signs of inflammation. These features are obvious
in the skin, where injury or disease causes flare, wheal, and
painful burning sensations. Vasodi- tation underlies the flare and
heat, plasma exudation the swelling, and acti- tion of sensory
nerves relays pain. In chronic conditions, skin biopsies show
inflammatory cell infiltrate. Inflammation is not unique to the
skin and contr- utes to disease and repair processes in other organ
systems in the body. From the viewpoint of this volume, lung
inflammation is now recognized as central to the pathophysiology of
a number of severe respiratory conditions, the two most common
being asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In
asthma, and to a lesser extent COPD, there is evidence of
vasodilatation, with congestion of blood vessels accompanied by
reddening of the airway mucosa, and of plasma exudation, leading to
swelling of the airway wall. Similarly, although less pronounced
than in the skin, there is evidence of pain, for example, the -
pleasant chest sensations associated with asthma attacks.
Understanding the pat- genesis of airway inflammation will enable
rational design of drugs to effectively treat conditions such as
asthma and COPD. However, whereas immediate access to the skin
facilitates investigation of disease processes, the lung, although
"open to atmosphere," is much less accessible. Consequently, the
investigation of lung inflammation is usually indirect. Thus, a
wide variety of research techniques are used.
General
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