9-11 Research: What Role Does Airway Inflammation Play in Obstructive Airway Disease? 

Firefighters participating in rescue/recovery work at the World Trade Center site lost an average of ~10% of FEV1 in the first post-9/11 year, with little apparent recovery (on average) over the next 6 years. This study assesses the post-9/11 courses of lung function as influenced by bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) a biomarker for susceptibility to asthma, and by corticosteroid treatment.