Airway smooth-muscle mass is increased in patients with asthma.This increase in muscle mass is quite marked in lung sectionsfrom patients who have died of asthma, but bronchial-biopsystudies indicate that even persons with mild-to-moderate asthmahave increased airway smooth-muscle mass. Both hypertrophy andhyperplasia appear to contribute to this increase, and it ispossible that airway smooth-muscle hyperplasia in asthma stemsfrom the inflammatory milieu surrounding the asthmatic muscle.There are numerous smooth-muscle growth factors present in theasthmatic airway. Indeed, in culture, serum or bronchoalveolar-lavagefluid from patients with asthma causes greater proliferationof human airway smooth-muscle . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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From the Physiology Program, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston.
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