ABSTRACT
Asthma is a chronic inammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells and cellular mediators play a role. This chronic inammation causes an increase in airway responsiveness that leads to recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing (Masoli et al. 2004), and failure to use appropriate medications or to adhere to treatments can eventually lead to morbidity and mortality . Apart from being the most common chronic disease among children, asthma is estimated to affect over 300 million people worldwide, comprising all ages, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds, with an estimated additional 100 million people with asthma by the year 2025 (World Health Organization 2008). Approximately 180,000 deaths are attributable to asthma each year, with a notable record of 255,000 people dying of asthma in the year 2005 (World Health Organization 2008).
