الفهرس 
acknowledgmentOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Several mechanisms have been postulated as explaining the action of corticosteroids in bronchial asthma. These include alteration of vascular permeability, anti-inflammatory action, inhibition of antibody formation and inhibition of synthesis or storage of histamine and other mediators.
Potentiation of endogenous catecholamines may be one of the mechanisms by which corticosteroids may act in bronchial asthma. Evidence of a catecholamines potentiating effect of corticosteroids has been obtained in previously reported studies.
The aim of this work was to study the levels and inter-relationship between serum cortisol, plasma catecholamines and blood eosinophils in non steroid dependent and steroid dependent asthmatic patients.
This study was performed on twenty asthmatic patients and ten normal individuals as a control. The asthmatic patients were divided into 2 groups:
Group I included 10 non steroid dependent asthmatics. Group II included 10 steroid dependent asthmatics.
Group in included ten normal individuals as a control.
Each patient in this study was subjected to full history taking for age, age at onset of asthma, the duration and mode of onset, therapeutic dependence (steroid dependent or non steroid dependent),duration of steroid intake, the course of disease and history of previous attacks of severe asthma.