Table 2.
Characteristic features of the ideal inflammatory biomarker in asthma
| The ideal inflammatory biomarker |
|---|
| Raised only in asthma |
| Raised only when endobronchial inflammation is present |
| Simple and cheap to measure |
| Easy to measure in primary and secondary care settings |
| Patient acceptability |
| Linear reduction on institution of antiinflammatory therapy with clear cut dose-response effect |
| Demonstrated to provide superior clinical control when used along with conventional measures than the latter alone |
Source: Currie GP, Lee DK, Wilson AM. 2005. Effects of dual therapy with corticosteroids plus long acting β2-agonists in asthma. Respir Med. In press.
Reproduced with permission from Elsevier Science.