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Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs which affects more than 200 million people worldwide. In the United States alone, asthma affects more than 20 million people and is the most frequent cause of childhood hospitalization. Asthma is characterized by reversible airway obstruction that is associated with inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. Allergic asthma may result in chronic, irreversible remodeling of the bronchial architecture as indicated by increased smooth muscle and fibrosis around the airways, which is aggravated by mucus hypersecretion into the airway lumen.
