Recent Developments in United Airways Disease

Recent Developments in United Airways Disease

Giorgio Ciprandi,1 Davide Caimmi,2 Michele Miraglia del Giudice,3 Mario La Rosa,4 Carmelo Salpietro,5and Gian Luigi Marseglia2

1IRCCS-University Hospital San Martino, Genoa, Italy.

2Department of Pediatric Science, Pediatrics Clinic, University of Pavia, Foundation IRCCS San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.

3Department of Pediatrics, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

4Department of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

5UOC Genetics and Immunology Paediatrics, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

Correspondence to: Giorgio Ciprandi, MD, IRCCS-University Hospital San Martino, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy. Tel: +39-10-35338120; Fax: +39-382-527976; Email: gio.cip@libero.it

Received November 14, 2011; Accepted December 15, 2011.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Recent Developments in United Airways Disease Abstract The nose and lung are both part of the respiratory tract. Often the diseases affecting the nose and/or the bronchi are treated separately. However, in recent years, numerous studies have highlighted the fact that the respiratory system is a single entity and the concept of "united airway disease" has become more and more important. The unity of the respiratory tract is confirmed both from a morphological and from a functional point of view. Nevertheless, this concept is also confirmed for the respiratory immune system, innervation and vascularization interesting all along the tract, from the nose to the bronchioles. When treating rhinitis, it is often necessary to assess the presence of asthma. Patients with sinusitis should be evaluated for a possible concomitant asthma. Conversely, patients with asthma should always be evaluated for possible nasal disease. The medications that treat nasal diseases appear to be useful in improving control of asthma and in reducing bronchial hyperresponsiveness as well. Physicians should always keep these notions in mind, and evaluate and treat respiratory diseases taking into account the unity of the respiratory tract. Ciprandi G, Caimmi D, Miraglia del Giudice M, La Rosa M, Salpietro C, Marseglia GL.   Recent Developments in United Airways Disease.   Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2012 Jul;4(4):171-177. Full text.   http://dx.doi.org/10.4168/aair.2012.4.4.171 Traducción jhs: La nariz  y  los  pulmones  pertenecen  al  tracto  respiratorio. Muchas  veces  las  enfermedades  que afectan la  nariz y /o los  bronquios  son tratadas   separadamente.  Sin embargo en los  últimos años numerosos estudios  nos  han señalado el  hecho,   que las  vías  aéreas  deben  considerarse una entidad  unitaria.   Emerge  el concepto   de  "  Una  Sola  Vía  Aérea  " .  La  unidad del  tracto  respiratorio ha  sido  confirmado  desde  un punto de vista morfológico  y  funcional. Cabe  resaltar  que esta unidad  del  sistema respiratorio  se  confirma, cuando  estudiamos  el  sistema  respiratorio  inmune,  la red  nerviosa  y la  vascularización   del  tracto  respiratorio, de la  nariz  a los  bronquiolos. Cuando  tratamos pacientes con  rinitis,  es  obligatorio  determinar  si  coexiste  asma  bronquial. Los  pacientes  con  sinusitis   deben  evaluarse  por  concomitante  asma.  Los  pacientes  con asma  deben  evaluarse  para  descartar  concomitante  enfermedad  nasal.  Los  medicamentos  que  sirven  para  tratar  la enfermedad  nasal, mejoran  el control  del  asma, reducen  la  hiperreactividad  bronquial  de manera  concomitante. Se populariza  la  cada  vez  más  la  noción :   "  Una  Sola  Vía  Respiratoria,  Una  Sola Enfermedad  " ( nota  del  traductor).