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Abstract
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells play a role, in particular mast cells, eosinophils and T-lymphocytes. Asthma is a serious global health problem. People of all ages in countries throughout the world are affected by this chronic airway disorder that can be severe and sometimes fatal (Black et al., 2001).
Although airway inflammation is of crucial pathogenic importance in asthma, because direct access to the airways is rarely possible, alternative markers of airways inflammation are needed for the diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The allergic immune reaction and the associated inflammation involve many cells which release mediators contributing to the pathogenesis of the disorders. In fact, antibodies and mediators have been used as diagnostic tools for many years. Mediators released from mast cells and eosinophilic granulocytes are becoming increasingly used as markers of the inflammation, and are finding their place in clinical practical work, whereas others, in particular mediators from the immune system such as cytokines, the interleukins (ILs), and the cell membrane associated markers of differentiation (CDs), are still used only in research (Adkinson et al., 2000).