Our studies are designed to identify aspects of reversibility in chronic lung disease, to learn how they can best and most safely be modified by therapy and to assess the impact of this therapy on symptoms and prognosis. We have found that steriod aerosols are effective in patients with chronic asthma. Among patients with chronic pulmonary disease (COPD) a group with sputum eosinophilia improved after treatment with oral steroids. We now plan to learn whether or not this improvement can be sustained by substituting steroid aerosol for the oral agent. Steroid aerosols have been without benefit in patients with sarcoidosis, and we are now studying the effect of substituting aerosol for oral steroids in patients in whom improvement has been induced and maintained by the latter. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Effect of bronchodilator agents on arrhythmia. Sher, S., Shim C. and Williams, M.H., Jr. New York State Journal of Medicine 76: 1973-1976, 1976. Severe asthma - (course and treatment in hospital). Bondi E., and Williams, M.H., Jr. New York State Journal of Medicine 77: 350-353, 1977.