1. |
- Östling, Jörgen, et al.
(author)
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IL-17-high asthma with features of a psoriasis immunophenotype
- 2019
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 144:5, s. 1198-1213
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The role of IL-17 immunity is well established in patients with inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease, but not in asthmatic patients, in whom further study is required.Objective: We sought to undertake a deep phenotyping study of asthmatic patients with upregulated IL-17 immunity.Methods: Whole-genome transcriptomic analysis was performed by using epithelial brushings, bronchial biopsy specimens (91 asthmatic patients and 46 healthy control subjects), and whole blood samples (n = 498) from the Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes (U-BIOPRED) cohort. Gene signatures induced in vitro by IL-17 and IL-13 in bronchial epithelial cells were used to identify patients with IL-17–high and IL-13–high asthma phenotypes.Results: Twenty-two of 91 patients were identified with IL-17, and 9 patients were identified with IL-13 gene signatures. The patients with IL-17–high asthma were characterized by risk of frequent exacerbations, airway (sputum and mucosal) neutrophilia, decreased lung microbiota diversity, and urinary biomarker evidence of activation of the thromboxane B2 pathway. In pathway analysis the differentially expressed genes in patients with IL-17-high asthma were shared with those reported as altered in psoriasis lesions and included genes regulating epithelial barrier function and defense mechanisms, such as IL1B, IL6, IL8, and β-defensin.Conclusion: The IL-17–high asthma phenotype, characterized by bronchial epithelial dysfunction and upregulated antimicrobial and inflammatory response, resembles the immunophenotype of psoriasis, including activation of the thromboxane B2 pathway, which should be considered a biomarker for this phenotype in further studies, including clinical trials targeting IL-17.
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- 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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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. |
- 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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7. |
- Perotin-Collard, Jeanne-Marie, et al.
(author)
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Subtypes of eosinophilic asthma with discrete gene pathway phenotypes
- 2019
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society Journals. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 54
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background: Blood eosinophil counts ≥0.3x109/L are used to define Type-2, eosinophilic asthma. However, differential responses to T2 biologics of patients with eosinophilic asthma suggests that this may be a heterogeneous phenotype with subsets driven by different molecular mechanisms.Methods: Blood transcriptomic data, acquired from 99 severe asthmatics from the U-BIOPRED study (62% female, mean age 54 yr, 41% on oral steroids), were clustered by topological data analysis and cluster boundaries defined by the MORSE method. Gene pathway signatures were identified by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis.Results: Analysis revealed 3 clusters with different modulated gene pathways, i.e. molecular phenotypes. Subtype 1 had high IFN-γ, low IL5, low IL13 and low IL17 gene expression, with reduced glucocorticoid-induced gene expression. Subtype 2 had low IFNγ, high IL5, high IL13 and low IL17 gene expression. Subtype 3 had low IFNγ, high IL5, high IL13 and high IL17 gene expression. Pathway analysis suggested a strong steroid response in Subtypes 2 and 3. Clinically, the three clusters were not different in respect of age, gender, prevalence of atopy, blood or sputum eosinophil counts. Subtype 3 was characterized by high neutrophil counts in blood and bronchial epithelium, frequent sinus disease and asthma exacerbations, OCS treatment, low allergic sensitisation and low exhaled NO. Subtype 1 was characterized by high exhaled NO and more frequent IgE therapy.Conclusion: This study suggests that eosinophilic severe asthma (≥0.3x109/L) can be stratified further into 3 subtypes with distinct gene expression profiles that could be developed as molecular diagnostic biomarkers to guide treatment and thereby improve patient outcomes.
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8. |
- 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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9. |
- 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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10. |
- 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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11. |
- Burg, Dominic, et al.
(author)
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Large-Scale Label-Free Quantitative Mapping of the Sputum Proteome
- 2018
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In: Journal of Proteome Research. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1535-3893 .- 1535-3907. ; 17:6, s. 2072-2091
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Analysis of induced sputum supematant is a minimally invasive approach to study the epithelial lining fluid and, thereby, provide insight into normal lung biology and the pathobiology of lung diseases. We present here a novel proteomics approach to sputum analysis developed within the U-BIOPRED (unbiased biomarkers predictive of respiratory disease outcomes) international project. We present practical and analytical techniques to optimize the detection of robust biomarkers in proteomic studies. The normal sputum proteome was derived using data-independent HDMSE applied to 40 healthy nonsmoking participants, which provides an essential baseline from which to compare modulation of protein expression in respiratory diseases. The "core" sputum proteome (proteins detected in >= 40% of participants) was composed of 284 proteins, and the extended proteome (proteins detected in >= 3 participants) contained 1666 proteins. Quality control procedures were developed to optimize the accuracy and consistency of measurement of sputum proteins and analyze the distribution of sputum proteins in the healthy population. The analysis showed that quantitation of proteins by HDMSE is influenced by several factors, with some proteins being measured in all participants' samples and with low measurement variance between samples from the same patient. The measurement of some proteins is highly variable between repeat analyses, susceptible to sample processing effects, or difficult to accurately quantify by mass spectrometry. Other proteins show high interindividual variance. We also highlight that the sputum proteome of healthy individuals is related to sputum neutrophil levels, but not gender or allergic sensitization. We illustrate the importance of design and interpretation of disease biomarker studies considering such protein population and technical measurement variance.
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- Hou, Ruihua, et al.
(author)
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The role of inflammation in anxiety and depression in the European U-BIOPRED asthma cohorts
- 2023
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In: Brain, behavior, and immunity. - : Academic Press. - 0889-1591 .- 1090-2139. ; 111, s. 249-258
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Growing evidence indicates high comorbid anxiety and depression in patients with asthma. However, the mechanisms underlying this comorbid condition remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of inflammation in comorbid anxiety and depression in three asthma patient cohorts of the Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes (U-BIOPRED) project. Methods: U-BIOPRED was conducted by a European Union consortium of 16 academic institutions in 11 European countries. A subset dataset from subjects with valid anxiety and depression measures and a large blood biomarker dataset were analysed, including 198 non-smoking patients with severe asthma (SAn), 65 smoking patients with severe asthma (SAs), 61 non-smoking patients with mild-to-moderate asthma (MMA), and 20 healthy non-smokers (HC). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to measure anxiety and depression and a series of inflammatory markers were analysed by the SomaScan v3 platform (SomaLogic, Boulder, Colo). ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used for multiple-group comparisons as appropriate. Results: There were significant group effects on anxiety and depression among the four cohort groups (p < 0.05). Anxiety and depression of SAn and SAs groups were significantly higher than that of MMA and HC groups (p < 0.05. There were significant differences in serum IL6, MCP1, CCL18, CCL17, IL8, and Eotaxin among the four groups (p < 0.05). Depression was significantly associated with IL6, MCP1, CCL18 level, and CCL17; whereas anxiety was associated with CCL17 only (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The current study suggests that severe asthma patients are associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression, and inflammatory responses may underlie this comorbid condition.
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13. |
- 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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14. |
- 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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15. |
- 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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16. |
- 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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17. |
- 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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18. |
- Mikus, MS, et al.
(author)
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Plasma proteins elevated in severe asthma despite oral steroid use and unrelated to Type-2 inflammation
- 2022
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In: The European respiratory journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 1399-3003 .- 0903-1936. ; 59:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Asthma phenotyping requires novel biomarker discovery.ObjectivesTo identify plasma biomarkers associated with asthma phenotypes by application of a new proteomic panel to samples from two well-characterised cohorts of severe (SA) and mild-to-moderate (MMA) asthmatics, COPD subjects and healthy controls (HCs).MethodsAn antibody-based array targeting 177 proteins predominantly involved in pathways relevant to inflammation, lipid metabolism, signal transduction and extracellular matrix was applied to plasma from 525 asthmatics and HCs in the U-BIOPRED cohort, and 142 subjects with asthma and COPD from the validation cohort BIOAIR. Effects of oral corticosteroids (OCS) were determined by a 2-week, placebo-controlled OCS trial in BIOAIR, and confirmed by relation to objective OCS measures in U-BIOPRED.ResultsIn U-BIOPRED, 110 proteins were significantly different, mostly elevated, in SA compared to MMA and HCs. 10 proteins were elevated in SA versus MMA in both U-BIOPRED and BIOAIR (alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, apolipoprotein-E, complement component 9, complement factor I, macrophage inflammatory protein-3, interleukin-6, sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 3, TNF receptor superfamily member 11a, transforming growth factor-β and glutathione S-transferase). OCS treatment decreased most proteins, yet differences between SA and MMA remained following correction for OCS use. Consensus clustering of U-BIOPRED protein data yielded six clusters associated with asthma control, quality of life, blood neutrophils, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and body mass index, but not Type-2 inflammatory biomarkers. The mast cell specific enzyme carboxypeptidase A3 was one major contributor to cluster differentiation.ConclusionsThe plasma proteomic panel revealed previously unexplored yet potentially useful Type-2-independent biomarkers and validated several proteins with established involvement in the pathophysiology of SA.
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19. |
- Wilson, Susan J., et al.
(author)
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Airway Elastin is increased in severe asthma and relates to proximal wall area : histological and computed tomography findings from the U-BIOPRED severe asthma study
- 2021
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In: Clinical and Experimental Allergy. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0954-7894 .- 1365-2222. ; 51:2, s. 296-304
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Airway remodelling, which may include goblet cell hyperplasia / hypertrophy, changes in epithelial integrity, accumulation of extracellular matrix components, smooth muscle hypertrophy and thickening of the lamina reticularis, is a feature of severe asthma and contributes to the clinical phenotype.Objective: Within the U-BIOPRED severe asthma study, we have assessed histological elements of airway remodelling and their relationship to computed tomography (CT) measures of proximal airway dimensions.Methods: Bronchial biopsies were collected from two severe asthma groups, one non-smoker (SAn, n = 28) and one current/ex-smoker (SAs/ex, n = 13), and a mild-moderate asthma group (MMA, n = 28) classified and treated according to GINA guidelines, plus a healthy control group (HC, n = 33). Movat's pentachrome technique was used to identify mucin, elastin and total collagen in these biopsies. The number of goblet cells (mucin+) was counted as a percentage of the total number of epithelial cells and the percentage mucin epithelial area measured. The percentage area of elastic fibres and total collagen within the submucosa was also measured, and the morphology of the elastic fibres classified. Participants in the asthma groups also had a CT scan to assess large airway morphometry.Results: The submucosal tissue elastin percentage was higher in both severe asthma groups (16.1% SAn, 18.9% SAs/ex) compared with the HC (9.7%) but did not differ between asthma groups. There was a positive relationship between elastin and airway wall area measured by CT (n = 18-20, rho=0.544, p = 0.024), which also related to an increase in elastic fibres with a thickened lamellar morphological appearance. Mucin epithelial area and total collagen were not different between the four groups. Due to small numbers of suitable CT scans, it was not feasible to compare airway morphometry between the asthma groups.Conclusion: These findings identify a link between extent of elastin deposition and airway wall thickening in severe asthma.
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20. |
- 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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21. |
- 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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22. |
- Field, Dawn, et al.
(author)
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The minimum information about a genome sequence (MIGS) specification.
- 2008
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In: Nature biotechnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1696 .- 1087-0156. ; 26:5, s. 541-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- With the quantity of genomic data increasing at an exponential rate, it is imperative that these data be captured electronically, in a standard format. Standardization activities must proceed within the auspices of open-access and international working bodies. To tackle the issues surrounding the development of better descriptions of genomic investigations, we have formed the Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC). Here, we introduce the minimum information about a genome sequence (MIGS) specification with the intent of promoting participation in its development and discussing the resources that will be required to develop improved mechanisms of metadata capture and exchange. As part of its wider goals, the GSC also supports improving the 'transparency' of the information contained in existing genomic databases.
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23. |
- Gustafsson, Mika, et al.
(author)
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Modules, networks and systems medicine for understanding disease and aiding diagnosis
- 2014
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In: Genome Medicine. - : BioMed Central. - 1756-994X. ; 6:82
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many common diseases, such as asthma, diabetes or obesity, involve altered interactions between thousands of genes. High-throughput techniques (omics) allow identification of such genes and their products, but functional understanding is a formidable challenge. Network-based analyses of omics data have identified modules of disease-associated genes that have been used to obtain both a systems level and a molecular understanding of disease mechanisms. For example, in allergy a module was used to find a novel candidate gene that was validated by functional and clinical studies. Such analyses play important roles in systems medicine. This is an emerging discipline that aims to gain a translational understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying common diseases. In this review, we will explain and provide examples of how network-based analyses of omics data, in combination with functional and clinical studies, are aiding our understanding of disease, as well as helping to prioritize diagnostic markers or therapeutic candidate genes. Such analyses involve significant problems and limitations, which will be discussed. We also highlight the steps needed for clinical implementation.
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24. |
- Coates, Allan L., et al.
(author)
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ERS technical standard on bronchial challenge testing : General considerations and performance of methacholine challenge tests
- 2017
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 49:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This international task force report updates general considerations for bronchial challenge testing and the performance of the methacholine challenge test. There are notable changes from prior recommendations in order to accommodate newer delivery devices. Rather than basing the test result upon a methacholine concentration (provocative concentration (PC20) causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)), the new recommendations base the result upon the delivered dose of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (provocative dose (PD20)). This end-point allows comparable results from different devices or protocols, thus any suitable nebuliser or dosimeter may be used, so long as the delivery characteristics are known. Inhalation may be by tidal breathing using a breath-actuated or continuous nebuliser for 1 min (or more), or by a dosimeter with a suitable breath count. Tests requiring maximal inhalations to total lung capacity are not recommended because the bronchoprotective effect of a deep breath reduces the sensitivity of the test.
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25. |
- Diamant, Zuzana, et al.
(author)
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Inhaled allergen bronchoprovocation tests.
- 2013
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1097-6825 .- 0091-6749. ; 132:5, s. 1045-1045
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The allergen bronchoprovocation test is a long-standing exacerbation model of allergic asthma that can induce several clinical and pathophysiologic features of asthma in sensitized subjects. Standardized allergen challenge is primarily a research tool, and when properly conducted by qualified and experienced investigators, it is safe and highly reproducible. In combination with validated airway sampling and sensitive detection techniques, allergen challenge allows the study of several features of the physiology of mainly TH2 cell-driven asthma in relation to the kinetics of the underlying airway pathology occurring during the allergen-induced late response. Furthermore, given the small within-subject variability in allergen-induced airway responses, allergen challenge offers an adequate disease model for the evaluation of new (targeted) controller therapies for asthma in a limited number of subjects. In proof-of-efficacy studies thus far, allergen challenge showed a fair positive predicted value and an excellent negative predictive value for the actual clinical efficacy of new antiasthma therapies, underscoring its important role in early drug development. In this review we provide recommendations on challenge methods, response measurements, sample size, safety, and harmonization for future applications.
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