CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

The pathogenesis of chronic pulmonary infection in patients with cysti c fibrosis has been an area of intense research and considerable progr ess over the past 5 years. A number of important studies in the past 2 years have demonstrated that infection and inflammation is a feature during the first weeks and months of life in patients with cystic fibr osis. Laboratory experiments have determined some of the bacterial and host factors which predispose patients with cystic fibrosis to infect ion early in life, and contribute to the chronicity of infection. The understanding of the host response to infection has also seen progress , and a number of studies using anti-inflammatory agents have suggeste d that modulation of the host response to infection, particularly neut rophil responses, can be achieved. Treatments aimed at modifying the h ost response to chronic infection may lead to important improvements i n clinical outcome.