1. |
- Abdel-Aziz, Mahmoud I., et al.
(author)
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A multi-omics approach to delineate sputum microbiome-associated asthma inflammatory phenotypes
- 2022
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 59:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A multi-omics approach revealed the underlying biological pathways in the microbiome-driven severe asthma phenotypes. This may help to elucidate new leads for treatment development, particularly for the therapeutically challenging neutrophilic asthma.
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2. |
- Alahmadi, Fahad, et al.
(author)
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Measures of adherence in patients with severe asthma prescribed systemic steroids in the U-BIOPRED cohort
- 2018
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 52
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Introduction: Rates of sub-optimal adherence to medications in asthma range up to 70%; the impact in severe asthma is likely to be particularly high. We measured self-reported adherence in participants in the U-BIOPRED cohort prescribed daily prednisolone using the Medication Adherence Response Scale (MARS), and compared to measured urinary prednisolone and metabolites in order to determine: 1. the prevalence of suboptimal adherence by each method; 2. the ability of MARS to predict urinary steroid detection.Methods: Participants completed the MARS, and/or provided urine samples (analysed for prednisolone and metabolites by LCMS). The performance characteristics of the MARS predicting undetected urinary steroid were calculated in the subgroup having both tests.Results: 181 participants currently taking regular oral corticosteroids were included, 59% female, mean (SD) age 54(12)yrs, FEV1 64.7(20.4)% predicted. Sub-optimal adherence (MARS score < 4.5) was reported in 62 participants, and 76 did not have detectable urinary prednisolone or metabolites. Good adherence by both methods was detected in only 52 participants (34%, see table). There was no difference in daily prednisolone dose between detectable and undetectable metabolites groups (p=0.848).Conclusion: Low levels of adherence to treatment in severe asthma is a common problem, when measured either directly or self-reported. There was very poor agreement (48% concordance) between these two methods, and we suggest that, for now both approaches should be used.
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3. |
- Badi, Yusef Eamon, et al.
(author)
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Mapping atopic dermatitis and anti–IL-22 response signatures to type 2–low severe neutrophilic asthma
- 2022
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 149:1, s. 89-101
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Transcriptomic changes in patients who respond clinically to biological therapies may identify responses in other tissues or diseases.Objective: We sought to determine whether a disease signature identified in atopic dermatitis (AD) is seen in adults with severe asthma and whether a transcriptomic signature for patients with AD who respond clinically to anti–IL-22 (fezakinumab [FZ]) is enriched in severe asthma.Methods: An AD disease signature was obtained from analysis of differentially expressed genes between AD lesional and nonlesional skin biopsies. Differentially expressed genes from lesional skin from therapeutic superresponders before and after 12 weeks of FZ treatment defined the FZ-response signature. Gene set variation analysis was used to produce enrichment scores of AD and FZ-response signatures in the Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes asthma cohort.Results: The AD disease signature (112 upregulated genes) encompassing inflammatory, T-cell, TH2, and TH17/TH22 pathways was enriched in the blood and sputum of patients with asthma with increasing severity. Patients with asthma with sputum neutrophilia and mixed granulocyte phenotypes were the most enriched (P <.05). The FZ-response signature (296 downregulated genes) was enriched in asthmatic blood (P <.05) and particularly in neutrophilic and mixed granulocytic sputum (P <.05). These data were confirmed in sputum of the Airway Disease Endotyping for Personalized Therapeutics cohort. IL-22 mRNA across tissues did not correlate with FZ-response enrichment scores, but this response signature correlated with TH22/IL-22 pathways.Conclusions: The FZ-response signature in AD identifies severe neutrophilic asthmatic patients as potential responders to FZ therapy. This approach will help identify patients for future asthma clinical trials of drugs used successfully in other chronic diseases.
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4. |
- Brandsma, Joost, et al.
(author)
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Lipid phenotyping of lung epithelial lining fluid in healthy human volunteers
- 2018
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In: Metabolomics. - : Springer-Verlag New York. - 1573-3882 .- 1573-3890. ; 14:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF)-sampled through sputum induction-is a medium rich in cells, proteins and lipids. However, despite its key role in maintaining lung function, homeostasis and defences, the composition and biology of ELF, especially in respect of lipids, remain incompletely understood. Objectives: To characterise the induced sputum lipidome of healthy adult individuals, and to examine associations between different ELF lipid phenotypes and the demographic characteristics within the study cohort.Methods: Induced sputum samples were obtained from 41 healthy non-smoking adults, and their lipid compositions analysed using a combination of untargeted shotgun and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry methods. Topological data analysis (TDA) was used to group subjects with comparable sputum lipidomes in order to identify distinct ELF phenotypes.Results: The induced sputum lipidome was diverse, comprising a range of different molecular classes, including at least 75 glycerophospholipids, 13 sphingolipids, 5 sterol lipids and 12 neutral glycerolipids. TDA identified two distinct phenotypes differentiated by a higher total lipid content and specific enrichments of diacyl-glycerophosphocholines, -inositols and -glycerols in one group, with enrichments of sterols, glycolipids and sphingolipids in the other. Subjects presenting the lipid-rich ELF phenotype also had significantly higher BMI, but did not differ in respect of other demographic characteristics such as age or gender.Conclusions: We provide the first evidence that the ELF lipidome varies significantly between healthy individuals and propose that such differences are related to weight status, highlighting the potential impact of (over)nutrition on lung lipid metabolism.
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5. |
- Brandsma, Joost, et al.
(author)
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Stratification of asthma by lipidomic profiling of induced sputum supernatant
- 2023
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 152:1, s. 117-125
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease with significant heterogeneity in its clinical presentation and pathobiology. There is need for improved understanding of respiratory lipid metabolism in asthma patients and its relation to observable clinical features.Objective: We performed a comprehensive, prospective, cross-sectional analysis of the lipid composition of induced sputum supernatant obtained from asthma patients with a range of disease severities, as well as from healthy controls.Methods: Induced sputum supernatant was collected from 211 adults with asthma and 41 healthy individuals enrolled onto the U-BIOPRED (Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes) study. Sputum lipidomes were characterized by semiquantitative shotgun mass spectrometry and clustered using topologic data analysis to identify lipid phenotypes.Results: Shotgun lipidomics of induced sputum supernatant revealed a spectrum of 9 molecular phenotypes, highlighting not just significant differences between the sputum lipidomes of asthma patients and healthy controls, but also within the asthma patient population. Matching clinical, pathobiologic, proteomic, and transcriptomic data helped inform the underlying disease processes. Sputum lipid phenotypes with higher levels of nonendogenous, cell-derived lipids were associated with significantly worse asthma severity, worse lung function, and elevated granulocyte counts.Conclusion: We propose a novel mechanism of increased lipid loading in the epithelial lining fluid of asthma patients resulting from the secretion of extracellular vesicles by granulocytic inflammatory cells, which could reduce the ability of pulmonary surfactant to lower surface tension in asthmatic small airways, as well as compromise its role as an immune regulator.
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6. |
- Brinkman, Paul, et al.
(author)
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Identification and prospective stability of electronic nose (eNose)-derived inflammatory phenotypes in patients with severe asthma
- 2019
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 143:5, s. 1811-1820.e7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Severe asthma is a heterogeneous condition, as shown by independent cluster analyses based on demographic, clinical, and inflammatory characteristics. A next step is to identify molecularly driven phenotypes using “omics” technologies. Molecular fingerprints of exhaled breath are associated with inflammation and can qualify as noninvasive assessment of severe asthma phenotypes.Objectives: We aimed (1) to identify severe asthma phenotypes using exhaled metabolomic fingerprints obtained from a composite of electronic noses (eNoses) and (2) to assess the stability of eNose-derived phenotypes in relation to withinpatient clinical and inflammatory changes.Methods: In this longitudinal multicenter study exhaled breath samples were taken from an unselected subset of adults with severe asthma from the U-BIOPRED cohort. Exhaled metabolites were analyzed centrally by using an assembly of eNoses. Unsupervised Ward clustering enhanced by similarity profile analysis together with K-means clustering was performed. For internal validation, partitioning around medoids and topological data analysis were applied. Samples at 12 to 18 months of prospective follow-up were used to assess longitudinal within-patient stability.Results: Data were available for 78 subjects (age, 55 years [interquartile range, 45-64 years]; 41% male). Three eNosedriven clusters (n = 26/33/19) were revealed, showing differences in circulating eosinophil (P = .045) and neutrophil (P = .017) percentages and ratios of patients using oral corticosteroids (P = .035). Longitudinal within-patient cluster stability was associated with changes in sputum eosinophil percentages (P = .045).Conclusions: We have identified and followed up exhaled molecular phenotypes of severe asthma, which were associated with changing inflammatory profile and oral steroid use. This suggests that breath analysis can contribute to the management of severe asthma.
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7. |
- Emma, Rosalia, et al.
(author)
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Enhanced oxidative stress in smoking and ex-smoking severe asthma in the U-BIOPRED cohort
- 2018
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library Science. - 1932-6203. ; 13:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Oxidative stress is believed to be a major driver of inflammation in smoking asthmatics. The U-BIOPRED project recruited a cohort of Severe Asthma smokers/ex-smokers (SAs/ex) and non-smokers (SAn) with extensive clinical and biomarker information enabling characterization of these subjects. We investigated oxidative stress in severe asthma subjects by analysing urinary 8-iso-PGF(2 alpha) and the mRNA-expression of the main pro-oxidant (NOX2; NOSs) and anti-oxidant (SODs; CAT; GPX1) enzymes in the airways of SAs/ex and SAn. All the severe asthma U-BIOPRED subjects were further divided into current smokers with severe asthma (CSA), ex-smokers with severe asthma (ESA) and non-smokers with severe asthma (NSA) to deepen the effect of active smoking. Clinical data, urine and sputum were obtained from severe asthma subjects. A bronchoscopy to obtain bronchial biopsy and brushing was performed in a subset of subjects. The main clinical data were analysed for each subset of subjects (urine-8-iso-PGF(2 alpha); IS-transcriptomics; BB-transcriptomics; BBrtranscriptomics). Urinary 8-iso-PGF(2 alpha) was quantified using mass spectrometry. Sputum, bronchial biopsy and bronchial brushing were processed for mRNA expression microarray analysis. Urinary 8-iso-PGF(2 alpha) was increased in SAs/ex, median (IQR) = 31.7 (24.5 +/- 44.7) ng/mmol creatinine, compared to SAn, median (IQR) = 26.6 (19.6 +/- 36.6) ng/mmol creatinine (p< 0.001), and in CSA, median (IQR) = 34.25 (24.4 +/- 47.7), vs. ESA, median (IQR) = 29.4 (22.3 +/- 40.5), and NSA, median (IQR) = 26.5 (19.6 +/- 16.6) ng/mmol creatinine (p = 0.004). Sputum mRNA expression of NOX2 was increased in SAs/ex compared to SAn (probe sets 203922_PM_s_at fold-change = 1.05 p = 0.006; 203923_PM_s_at fold-change = 1.06, p = 0.003; 233538_PM_s_at fold-change = 1.06, p = 0.014). The mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes were similar between the two severe asthma cohorts in all airway samples. NOS2 mRNA expression was decreased in bronchial brushing of SAs/ex compared to SAn (fold-change = -1.10; p = 0.029). NOS2 mRNA expression in bronchial brushing correlated with FeNO (Kendal's Tau = 0.535; p< 0.001). From clinical and inflammatory analysis, FeNO was lower in CSA than in ESA in all the analysed subject subsets (p< 0.01) indicating an effect of active smoking. Results about FeNO suggest its clinical limitation, as inflammation biomarker, in severe asthma active smokers. These data provide evidence of greater systemic oxidative stress in severe asthma smokers as reflected by a significant changes of NOX2 mRNA expression in the airways, together with elevated urinary 8-iso-PGF(2 alpha) in the smokers/ex-smokers group.
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8. |
- Kolmert, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Urinary Leukotriene E-4 and Prostaglandin D-2 Metabolites Increase in Adult and Childhood Severe Asthma Characterized by Type 2 Inflammation A Clinical Observational Study
- 2021
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In: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. - NEW YORK, USA : AMER THORACIC SOC. - 1073-449X .- 1535-4970. ; 203:1, s. 37-53
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rationale: New approaches are needed to guide personalized treatment of asthma. Objectives: To test if urinary eicosanoid metabolites can direct asthma phenotyping. Methods: Urinary metabolites of prostaglandins (PGs), cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs), and isoprostanes were quantified in the U-BIOPRED (Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Diseases Outcomes) study including 86 adults with mild-to-moderate asthma (MMA), 411 with severe asthma (SA), and 100 healthy control participants. Validation was performed internally in 302 participants with SA followed up after 12-18 months and externally in 95 adolescents with asthma. Measurement and Main Results: Metabolite concentrations in healthy control participants were unrelated to age, body mass index, and sex, except for the PGE(2) pathway. Eicosanoid concentrations were generally greater in participants with MMA relative to healthy control participants, with further elevations in participants with SA. However, PGE(2) metabolite concentrations were either the same or lower in male nonsmokers with asthma than in healthy control participants. Metabolite concentrations were unchanged in those with asthma who adhered to oral corticosteroid treatment as documented by urinary prednisolone detection, whereas those with SA treated with omalizumab had lower concentrations of LTE4 and the PGD(2) metabolite 2,3-dinor-11 beta-PGF(2 alpha). High concentrations of LTE4 and PGD(2) metabolites were associated with lower lung function and increased amounts of exhaled nitric oxide and eosinophil markers in blood, sputum, and urine in U-BIOARED participants and in adolescents with asthma. These type 2 (T2) asthma associations were reproduced in the follow-up visit of the U-BIOPRED study and were found to be as sensitive to detect T2 inflammation as the established biomarkers. Conclusions: Monitoring of urinary eicosanoids can identify T2 asthma and introduces a new noninvasive approach for molecular phenotyping of adult and adolescent asthma.
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9. |
- Kuo, Chih-Hsi Scott, et al.
(author)
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A transcriptome-driven analysis of epithelial brushings and bronchial biopsies to define asthma phenotypes in U-BIOPRED
- 2017
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In: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. - 1073-449X .- 1535-4970. ; 194:4, s. 443-455
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease driven by diverse immunologic and inflammatory mechanisms. We used transcriptomic profiling of airway tissues to help define asthma phenotypes.METHODS: The transcriptome from bronchial biopsies and epithelial brushings of 107 moderate-to-severe asthmatics were annotated by gene-set variation analysis (GSVA) using 42 gene-signatures relevant to asthma, inflammation and immune function. Topological data analysis (TDA) of clinical and histological data was used to derive clusters and the nearest shrunken centroid algorithm used for signature refinement.RESULTS: 9 GSVA signatures expressed in bronchial biopsies and airway epithelial brushings distinguished two distinct asthma subtypes associated with high expression of T-helper type 2 (Th-2) cytokines and lack of corticosteroid response (Group 1 and Group 3). Group 1 had the highest submucosal eosinophils, high exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels, exacerbation rates and oral corticosteroid (OCS) use whilst Group 3 patients showed the highest levels of sputum eosinophils and had a high BMI. In contrast, Group 2 and Group 4 patients had an 86% and 64% probability of having non-eosinophilic inflammation. Using machine-learning tools, we describe an inference scheme using the currently-available inflammatory biomarkers sputum eosinophilia and exhaled nitric oxide levels along with OCS use that could predict the subtypes of gene expression within bronchial biopsies and epithelial cells with good sensitivity and specificity.CONCLUSION: This analysis demonstrates the usefulness of a transcriptomic-driven approach to phenotyping that segments patients who may benefit the most from specific agents that target Th2-mediated inflammation and/or corticosteroid insensitivity.
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10. |
- Kuo, Chih-Hsi S., et al.
(author)
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Contribution of airway eosinophils in airway wall remodeling in asthma : Role of MMP-10 and MET
- 2019
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In: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 74:6, s. 1102-1112
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Eosinophils play an important role in the pathophysiology of asthma being implicated in airway epithelial damage and airway wall remodeling. We determined the genes associated with airway remodeling and eosinophilic inflammation in patients with asthma. Methods We analyzed the transcriptomic data from bronchial biopsies of 81 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma of the U-BIOPRED cohort. Expression profiling was performed using Affymetrix arrays on total RNA. Transcription binding site analysis used the PRIMA algorithm. Localization of proteins was by immunohistochemistry. Results Using stringent false discovery rate analysis, MMP-10 and MET were significantly overexpressed in biopsies with high mucosal eosinophils (HE) compared to low mucosal eosinophil (LE) numbers. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed increased expression of MMP-10 and MET in bronchial epithelial cells and in subepithelial inflammatory and resident cells in asthmatic biopsies. Using less-stringent conditions (raw P-value < 0.05, log2 fold change > 0.5), we defined a 73-gene set characteristic of the HE compared to the LE group. Thirty-three of 73 genes drove the pathway annotation that included extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, mast cell activation, CC-chemokine receptor binding, circulating immunoglobulin complex, serine protease inhibitors, and microtubule bundle formation pathways. Genes including MET and MMP10 involved in ECM organization correlated positively with submucosal thickness. Transcription factor binding site analysis identified two transcription factors, ETS-1 and SOX family proteins, that showed positive correlation with MMP10 and MET expression. Conclusion Pathways of airway remodeling and cellular inflammation are associated with submucosal eosinophilia. MET and MMP-10 likely play an important role in these processes.
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11. |
- Lefaudeux, Diane, et al.
(author)
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U-BIOPRED clinical adult asthma clusters linked to a subset of sputum omics
- 2017
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 139:6, s. 1797-1807
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease in which there is a differential response to asthma treatments. This heterogeneity needs to be evaluated so that a personalized management approach can be provided.OBJECTIVES: We stratified patients with moderate-to-severe asthma based on clinicophysiologic parameters and performed an omics analysis of sputum.METHODS: Partition-around-medoids clustering was applied to a training set of 266 asthmatic participants from the European Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Diseases Outcomes (U-BIOPRED) adult cohort using 8 prespecified clinic-physiologic variables. This was repeated in a separate validation set of 152 asthmatic patients. The clusters were compared based on sputum proteomics and transcriptomics data.RESULTS: Four reproducible and stable clusters of asthmatic patients were identified. The training set cluster T1 consists of patients with well-controlled moderate-to-severe asthma, whereas cluster T2 is a group of patients with late-onset severe asthma with a history of smoking and chronic airflow obstruction. Cluster T3 is similar to cluster T2 in terms of chronic airflow obstruction but is composed of nonsmokers. Cluster T4 is predominantly composed of obese female patients with uncontrolled severe asthma with increased exacerbations but with normal lung function. The validation set exhibited similar clusters, demonstrating reproducibility of the classification. There were significant differences in sputum proteomics and transcriptomics between the clusters. The severe asthma clusters (T2, T3, and T4) had higher sputum eosinophilia than cluster T1, with no differences in sputum neutrophil counts and exhaled nitric oxide and serum IgE levels.CONCLUSION: Clustering based on clinicophysiologic parameters yielded 4 stable and reproducible clusters that associate with different pathobiological pathways.
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12. |
- Loza, M. J., et al.
(author)
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Validated and longitudinally stable asthma phenotypes based on cluster analysis of the ADEPT study
- 2016
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In: Respiratory Research. - : Springer Nature. - 1465-9921 .- 1465-993X. ; 17:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Asthma is a disease of varying severity and differing disease mechanisms. To date, studies aimed at stratifying asthma into clinically useful phenotypes have produced a number of phenotypes that have yet to be assessed for stability and to be validated in independent cohorts. The aim of this study was to define and validate, for the first time ever, clinically driven asthma phenotypes using two independent, severe asthma cohorts: ADEPT and U-BIOPRED. Methods: Fuzzy partition-around-medoid clustering was performed on pre-specified data from the ADEPT participants (n = 156) and independently on data from a subset of U-BIOPRED asthma participants (n = 82) for whom the same variables were available. Models for cluster classification probabilities were derived and applied to the 12-month longitudinal ADEPT data and to a larger subset of the U-BIOPRED asthma dataset (n = 397). High and low type-2 inflammation phenotypes were defined as high or low Th2 activity, indicated by endobronchial biopsies gene expression changes downstream of IL-4 or IL-13. Results: Four phenotypes were identified in the ADEPT (training) cohort, with distinct clinical and biomarker profiles. Phenotype 1 was "mild, good lung function, early onset", with a low-inflammatory, predominantly Type-2, phenotype. Phenotype 2 had a "moderate, hyper-responsive, eosinophilic" phenotype, with moderate asthma control, mild airflow obstruction and predominant Type-2 inflammation. Phenotype 3 had a "mixed severity, predominantly fixed obstructive, non-eosinophilic and neutrophilic" phenotype, with moderate asthma control and low Type-2 inflammation. Phenotype 4 had a "severe uncontrolled, severe reversible obstruction, mixed granulocytic" phenotype, with moderate Type-2 inflammation. These phenotypes had good longitudinal stability in the ADEPT cohort. They were reproduced and demonstrated high classification probability in two subsets of the U-BIOPRED asthma cohort. Conclusions: Focusing on the biology of the four clinical independently-validated easy-to-assess ADEPT asthma phenotypes will help understanding the unmet need and will aid in developing tailored therapies. Trial registration:NCT01274507(ADEPT), registered October 28, 2010 and NCT01982162(U-BIOPRED), registered October 30, 2013.
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13. |
- Pretolani, Marina, et al.
(author)
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Effectiveness of bronchial thermoplasty in patients with severe refractory asthma : Clinical and histopathologic correlations
- 2017
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-6749. ; 139:4, s. 1176-1185
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The effectiveness of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) has been reported in patients with severe asthma, yet its effect on different bronchial structures remains unknown. Objective: We sought to examine the effect of BT on bronchial structures and to explore the association with clinical outcome in patients with severe refractory asthma. Methods: Bronchial biopsy specimens (n = 300) were collected from 15 patients with severe uncontrolled asthma before and 3 months after BT. Immunostained sections were assessed for airway smooth muscle (ASM) area, subepithelial basement membrane thickness, nerve fibers, and epithelial neuroendocrine cells. Histopathologic findings were correlated with clinical parameters. Results: BT significantly improved asthma control and quality of life at both 3 and 12 months and decreased the numbers of severe exacerbations and the dose of oral corticosteroids. At 3 months, this clinical benefit was accompanied by a reduction in ASM area (median values before and after BT, respectively: 19.7% [25th-75th interquartile range (IQR), 15.9% to 22.4%] and 5.3% [25th-75th IQR], 3.5% to 10.1%, P < .001), subepithelial basement membrane thickening (4.4 μm [25th-75th IQR, 4.0-4.7 μm] and 3.9 μm [25th-75th IQR, 3.7-4.6 μm], P = 0.02), submucosal nerves (1.0 ‰ [25th-75th IQR, 0.7-1.3 ‰] immunoreactivity and 0.3 ‰ [25th-75th IQR, 0.1-0.5 ‰] immunoreactivity, P < .001), ASM-associated nerves (452.6 [25th-75th IQR, 196.0-811.2] immunoreactive pixels per mm2 and 62.7 [25th-75th IQR, 0.0-230.3] immunoreactive pixels per mm2, P = .02), and epithelial neuroendocrine cells (4.9/mm2 [25th-75th IQR, 0-16.4/mm2] and 0.0/mm2 [25th-75th IQR, 0-0/mm2], P = .02). Histopathologic parameters were associated based on Asthma Control Test scores, numbers of exacerbations, and visits to the emergency department (all P ≤ .02) 3 and 12 months after BT. Conclusion: BT is a treatment option in patients with severe therapy-refractory asthma that downregulates selectively structural abnormalities involved in airway narrowing and bronchial reactivity, particularly ASM, neuroendocrine epithelial cells, and bronchial nerve endings.
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14. |
- Wilson, Susan Jane, et al.
(author)
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Periostin expression in the U-BIOPRED severe asthma bronchoscopy cohort
- 2018
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 52
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Periostin (POSTN) is secreted basolaterally by bronchial epithelial cells in asthma and is expressed in the extracellular matrix where it is thought to play a role in fibrosis and is associated with airway eosinophilia.In this study we have assessed the protein expression of POSTN in bronchial biopsies by immunohistochemistry, in serum by the Elecsys Periostin Immunoassay and measured gene expression by Affymetrix arrays in bronchial biopsies, bronchial brushings and in sputum in the U-BIOPRED severe asthma study in the bronchoscopy sub-cohort, which included 4 groups; severe non-smoker asthmatics (SAns), current / ex-smoker severe asthmatics (SAs), mild-moderate asthmatics (MMA) and non-asthmatic healthy controls (HC).Subepithelial protein expression in the bronchial biopsies was higher (p=0.02) in SAns, 9.2% (IQR 5.8-12.6)(n=44) compared to SAs 6.2% (3-9.2)(n=16), and in MMA 11% (7.5-12.6)(n=32) compared to SAs (p=0.002) or HC 7.1% (5.5-10.3)(p=0.01)(n=39). There was no difference between SAns and MMA. Gene expression was higher in biopsies from SAns (n=30), -0.044 (IQR -0.425-0.508), compared to both the SAs (n=9), -0.274 (-0.590-0.200), (p=0.02) and HC (n=21), -0.377 (-0.583-0.125), (p=0.008), but similar in MMA. There was no difference between the groups in POSTN serum levels or in gene expression in bronchial brushings or sputum.In asthmatics, the biopsy protein expression correlated with the biopsy gene expression, and both correlated with eosinophils numbers in the biopsies and blood, exhaled NO, and thickness of the lamina reticularis.These results highlight the potential relevance of tissue POSTN to asthma pathophysiology however, this does not appear to be reflected by serum POSTN measures.
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15. |
- Yasinska, Valentyna, et al.
(author)
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Low levels of endogenous anabolic androgenic steroids in females with severe asthma taking corticosteroids
- 2023
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In: ERJ Open Research. - : European Respiratory Society. - 2312-0541. ; 9:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rationale: Patients with severe asthma are dependent upon treatment with high doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and often also oral corticosteroids (OCS). The extent of endogenous androgenic anabolic steroid (EAAS) suppression in asthma has not previously been described in detail. The objective of the present study was to measure urinary concentrations of EAAS in relation to exogenous corticosteroid exposure.Methods: Urine collected at baseline in the U-BIOPRED (Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease outcomes) study of severe adult asthmatics (SA, n=408) was analysed by quantitative mass spectrometry. Data were compared to that of mild-to-moderate asthmatics (MMA, n=70) and healthy subjects (HC, n=98) from the same study.Measurements and main results: The concentrations of urinary endogenous steroid metabolites were substantially lower in SA than in MMA or HC. These differences were more pronounced in SA patients with detectable urinary OCS metabolites. Their dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) concentrations were <5% of those in HC, and cortisol concentrations were below the detection limit in 75% of females and 82% of males. The concentrations of EAAS in OCS-positive patients, as well as patients on high-dose ICS only, were more suppressed in females than males (p<0.05). Low levels of DHEA were associated with features of more severe disease and were more prevalent in females (p<0.05). The association between low EAAS and corticosteroid treatment was replicated in 289 of the SA patients at follow-up after 12–18 months.Conclusion: The pronounced suppression of endogenous anabolic androgens in females might contribute to sex differences regarding the prevalence of severe asthma.
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