Korean J Intern Med.  2015 Jul;30(4):443-449. 10.3904/kjim.2015.30.4.443.

Phenotype of asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome

• Rhee CK

• KMID: 2366003
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2015.30.4.443

Abstract

Many patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have overlapping characteristics of both diseases. By spirometric definition, patients with both fixed airflow obstruction (AO) and bronchodilator reversibility or fixed AO and bronchial hyperresponsiveness can be considered to have asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). However, patients regarded to have ACOS by spirometric criteria alone are heterogeneous and can be classified by phenotype. Eosinophilic inflammation, a history of allergic disease, and smoke exposure are important components in the classification of ACOS. Each phenotype has a different underlying pathophysiology, set of characteristics, and prognosis. Medical treatment for ACOS should be tailored according to phenotype. A narrower definition of ACOS that includes both spirometric and clinical criteria is needed.

Keyword

Asthma; Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Phenotype

MeSH Terms

Anti-Asthmatic Agents/therapeutic use
Asthma/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy/physiopathology
Bronchodilator Agents/therapeutic use
Humans
Lung/drug effects/*physiopathology
Phenotype
Predictive Value of Tests
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy/physiopathology
Risk Factors
Spirometry
Syndrome
Terminology as Topic
Treatment Outcome
Anti-Asthmatic Agents
Bronchodilator Agents