Atypical Bacteria and Macrolides in Asthma.docVIP

ORIGINAL ARTICLE AtypicalBacteriaandMacrolidesinAsthma ParaskeviXepapadaki,MD,PhD,IoannaKoutsoumpari,MD,VasilikiPapaevagelou,MD,PhD, ChristinaKaragianni,MD,andNikolaosG.Papadopoulos,MD,PhD ChlamydophilapneumoniaeandMycoplasmapneumoniaearecommonpathogenscausingacuteillnessinboththeupperandlower airways.Severalobservationsaresupportiveofapossiblecausativeroleofthesepathogensinasthma;however,moreevidenceis required before this becomes meaningful in clinical practice. Atypical bacteria can enhance airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation,bothofwhichhavebeenassociatedwithexacerbationsinpatient