Interleukin-15 and Its Contribution to Asthma Pathogenesis in AgingPopulations

Abstract

Asthma, a chronic debilitating condition associated with increase emergency ward admission in the hospitals or mortality in elderly patients in both industrialized and non industrialized societies.1, 2 Diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder is associated with chronic asthma in older patients suggesting that long-standing asthma may lead to irreversible airflow obstruction.3 In the United States, nearly 25 million of the population, 8% adult and 9% children are suffering from asthma, a chronic inflammatory pulmonary disorder responsible for over 5000 deaths/year. About 140,000 Americans have been diagnosed with different types of pulmonary asthma. Food and aeroallergens are strongly linked to asthma. Most interestingly, a recent analysis of people with asthma showed that those elderly patients that had both allergies and asthma were much more likely to have night-time awakening due to asthma and require more powerful medications and understanding of the disease pathogenesis to control their symptoms. Therefore, a great need to continue with innovative fundamental studies to uncover new possibilities for the therapeutic interventions for airway hyperactivity/obstruction in elderly patients effectively from asthma. Airway hyperreactivity is a characteristic of asthma and to a lesser extent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).