AUTHOR=Jesenak Milos , Zelieskova Maria , Babusikova Eva 

TITLE=Oxidative Stress and Bronchial Asthma in Children—Causes or Consequences?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2017

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2017.00162

DOI=10.3389/fped.2017.00162

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases of the airways. In the pathogenesis of this disease, the interplay among the genes, intrinsic and extrinsic factors is crucial. Various combinations of the involved factors determine and modify the final clinical phenotype/endotype of asthma. Oxidative stress results from imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and the capacity of anti-oxidant defense mechanisms. It was shown that oxidative damage of biomolecules is strongly involved in the asthmatic inflammation. It is evident that asthma is accompanied by oxidative stress in the airways and also at systemic circulation. During the acute exacerbation or allergen challenge, the oxidative stress is more pronounced. On the other hand, the genetic variations in the genes for anti-oxidative and pro-oxidative enzymes is variably associated with various asthmatic subtypes. Whether oxidative stress is the consequence of, or the cause for, chronic changes in asthmatic airways is still being discussed. Contribution of oxidative stress to asthma pathology remains at least partially controversial, since antioxidant interventions have proven rather unsuccessful. According to current knowledge, the relationship between oxidative stress and asthmatic inflammation is bi-directional and genetic predisposition could modify the balance between these two positions – oxidative stress as a cause for or consequence of asthmatic inflammation.