This report considers the biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the pathogenicity of tobacco smoke. Many Surgeon General's reports have considered research findings on mechanisms in assessing the biological plausibility of associations observed in epidemiologic studies. Mechanisms of disease are important because they may provide plausibility, which is one of the guideline criteria for assessing evidence on causation. This report specifically reviews the evidence on the potential mechanisms by which smoking causes diseases and considers whether a mechanism is likely to be operative in the production of human disease by tobacco smoke. This evidence is relevant to understanding how smoking causes disease, to identifying those who may be particularly susceptible, and to assessing the potential risks of tobacco products.

Severe asthma is a form of asthma that responds poorly to currently available medication, and its patients represent those with greatest unmet needs. In the last 10 years, substantial progress has been made in terms of understanding some of the mechanisms that drive severe asthma; there have also been concomitant advances in the recognition of specific molecular phenotypes. This ERS Monograph covers all aspects of severe asthma – epidemiology, diagnosis, mechanisms, treatment and management – but has a particular focus on recent understanding of mechanistic heterogeneity based on an analytic approach using various ‘omics platforms applied to clinically well-defined asthma cohorts. How these advances have led to improved management targets is also emphasised. This book brings together the clinical and scientific expertise of those from around the world who are collaborating to solve the problem of severe asthma.

Asthma is a prevalent disease in all age groups that results from different pathogenic mechanisms, cells, and mediators engaged in innumerous clinical phenotypes and endotypes. This book exhaustively and didactically explores the biological expression of numerous cells and mediators involved in bronchial inflammation. The information provided aims at identifying the diversity and complexity of the interrelationships between the different players, drawing attention to critical mechanisms in asthma. It also highlights the requirement of new tools to identify strong biomarkers absolutely critical for managing asthma.

Eosinophils represent approximately 1% of peripheral blood leukocytes and play a central proinflammatory and immunoregulatory role in various immune disorders. This volume provides the reader with a comprehensive survey of the major aspects of human eosinophilic biology and immunology as well as the most clinically relevant aspects of eosinophil-related disorders. Expert contributions cover the ultrastructural and phenotypic characteristics of human eosinophils, and their fundamental biochemical features including receptors for IgE and chemokines. The production of cytokines and their role in the activation of eosinophils are reviewed. Furthermore, the classic eosinophil-related disorders such as hypereosinophilia, drug reactions, allergic disorders and some cardiovascular diseases are described. Each of the chapters is written by an investigator actively engaged in research on the topic under consideration. The well-edited and stimulating material compiled in this volume will be of interest to all those working in allergology, immunology, biochemistry and pulmonary medicine.

This reference collects the latest studies on the development, diagnosis, and treatment of childhood asthma and offers current perspectives on new technologies that will shape the management of pediatric asthma in the forthcoming decade-illustrating how advances in pulmonary function measurement, inflammatory markers, imaging, and pharmacogenetics