The role of the common cold in asthma

It has long been known that patients with viral respiratory infections deve lop temporary asthma-like symptoms or see a worsening of their existing ast hmatic symptoms or develop full-blown asthma during the infection. It shoul d not be surprising, in view of this observation, that these same viruses h ave been found to initiate the same inflammatory processes as seen and char acterized in the asthmatic patient. This has clear implications for therapy of asthmatic patients. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 1999;39:241-245 ( C) 1999 the American College of Clinical Pharmacology.