Unified Airway Disease: Future Directions

Jumah G Ahmad; Michael J Marino; Amber U Luong

doi:10.1016/j.otc.2022.09.014

Unified Airway Disease: Future Directions

Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2023 Feb;56(1):181-195. doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2022.09.014.

Authors

Jumah G Ahmad¹, Michael J Marino², Amber U Luong³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, 6400 Fannin St, #2700, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
² Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA. Electronic address: marino.michael@mayo.edu.
³ Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, 6400 Fannin St, #2700, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Immunology and Autoimmune Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.

PMID: 36410990
DOI: 10.1016/j.otc.2022.09.014

Abstract

Unified airway disease describes the shared epidemiologic and pathophysiologic relationship among the chronic inflammatory diseases of the upper and lower airways including allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, asthma, and chronic otitis media. This concept proposes that these diseases are manifestations of a single inflammatory process and require an integrated diagnostic and therapeutic approach to achieve global disease control. Future directions to further establish this entity should focus on pathophysiology, diagnostic markers, flora microbes with particular emphasis on fungi, the role of type 3 inflammation, and targeted therapeutics including biologics, JAK inhibitors, and synthetic peptides.

Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Asthma; Chronic rhinosinusitis; Future directions; Lower airway; Unified airway disease; Upper airway.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Asthma* / diagnosis
Asthma* / therapy
Chronic Disease
Humans
Inflammation
Respiratory System
Rhinitis, Allergic*
Sinusitis* / diagnosis
Sinusitis* / therapy