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Table 1 Historical Perspective of Aspirin and Aspirin-Exacerbated Asthma

From: Aspirin-Exacerbated Asthma

Date

Person

Discovery

460 BC

Hippocrates

Described properties of powders derived from bark of white willow tree (Salix alba)

1853

Gerhardt

Created ASA by acetylation of phenolic hydroxyl group of salicylic acid

1874

Kolbe

Synthesis of salicylic acid, used as a painkiller, although with severe GI side effects

1889

Hoffman

Rediscovered the medicinal properties of ASA without GI irritation; mass marketing by Bayer

1922

Abrami and Lemoyez

Reported a case of anaphylaxis to 100 mg ASA

1967

Samter and Beers

Reported the phenomena of ASA intolerance, nasal polyposis, asthma

1967

Vanselow

Bronchial asthma induced by indomethacin

1971

Sir John Vane

Identified mechanism of action of ASA as inhibition of cyclooxygenase pathway

1973

Lockey et al

Reported mechanism of the mode of inheritance of AEA as autosomal recessive

1980

Stevenson

Reported successful desensitization to ASA

1994

Szczeklik

Reported eicosanoids (cysteinyl leukotrienes) in pathogenesis of AEA

  1. AEA = aspirin-exacerbated asthma; ASA = acetylsalicylic acid; GI = gastrointestinal.