ABSTRACT
Products of the 5-lipoxygenase pathway have long been postulated to play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma (1). This hypothesis was based on evidence that 5-lipoxygenase products are synthesized and released by human lung during asthmatic reactions and have the ability to produce airway constriction and inflammation (2-7). Controlled clinical studies with 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors and leukotriene receptor antagonists have now established the importance of 5-lipoxygenase products in the asthmatic response and have demonstrated the utility of inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase in the therapy of asthma.
