Advances in pediatric asthma in 2009: Gaining control of childhood asthma

This year's summary will focus on recent advances in pediatric asthma as reported in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology publications in 2009. New National Asthma Education and Prevention Program asthma guidelines were released in 2007, with a particular emphasis on asthma control. Now that we have worked with the principals of the guidelines for 2 years, new insights are reported on how to implement the guidelines into clinical practice. This year's report will focus on gaps in management that need to be addressed, including health disparities, methods to improve asthma management through opportunities available in school-based asthma programs, and more information on the development of asthma in childhood. This information brings us closer to the point of managing children with controllable asthma and understanding reasons why asthma is not controlled in the remaining children. If we can close these gaps through better communication, improvements in the health care system, and new insights into treatment, we will move closer to better methods to intervene early in the course of the disease and induce clinical remission as quickly as possible in most children.

Key words: Asthma, asthma control, asthma impairment, asthma risk, asthma severity, early intervention in asthma, biomarkers, genetics, inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene receptor antagonists, long-acting β-adrenergic agonists, omalizumab, therapeutics

Abbreviations used: AAAAI, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, AHR, Airway hyperresponsiveness, BMI, Body mass index, FeNO, Fraction of exhaled nitric oxide, FLG, Filaggrin, FSC, Fluticasone propionate–salmeterol combination, FSE, Future severe exacerbation, HLX1, Homeobox transcription factor H.20-like homeobox 1 gene, ICS, Inhaled corticosteroid, LABA, Long acting β-adrenergic agonists, LTRA, Leukotriene receptor antagonist, NAEPP, National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, OR, Odds ratio, PLAUR, Plasma urokinase plasminogen activator receptor, RI, Rhode Island, RSE, Recent severe asthma exacerbation, RSV, Respiratory syncytial virus, TBX21, T-cell specific T-box transcription factor, TSLP, Thymic stromal lymphopoietin