An algorithmic approach for the treatment of severe uncontrolled asthma

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Zervas, Eleftherios; Samitas, Konstantinos; Papaioannou, Andriana I.; Bakakos, Petros; Loukides, Stelios; Gaga, Mina

2018-01-01

A small subgroup of patients with asthma suffers from severe disease that is either partially controlled or uncontrolled despite intensive, guideline-based treatment. These patients have significantly impaired quality of life and although they constitute asthma patients, they are responsible for more than half of asthma-related healthcare costs. Here, we review a definition for severe asthma and present all therapeutic options currently available for these severe asthma patients. Moreover, we suggest a specific algorithmic treatment approach for the management of severe, difficult-to-treat asthma based on specific phenotype characteristics and biomarkers. The diagnosis and management of severe asthma requires specialised experience, time and effort to comprehend the needs and expectations of each individual patient and incorporate those as well as his/her specific phenotype characteristics into the management planning. Although some new treatment options are currently available for these patients, there is still a need for further research into severe asthma and yet more treatment options. PMID:29531957

Imaging diagnosis of bronchial asthma and related diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, Fumikazu; Fujimura, Mikihiko; Kimura, Fumiko; Fujimura, Kaori; Hayano, Toshio; Nishii, Noriko; Machida, Haruhiko; Toda, Jo; Saito, Naoko

2002-01-01

We describe imaging features of bronchial asthma and related diseases. The practical roles of imaging diagnosis are the evaluation of severity and complications of bronchial asthma and differential diagnosis of diseases showing asthmatic symptoms other than bronchial asthma. (author)

Management of severe asthma: targeting the airways, comorbidities and risk factors.

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Gibson, Peter G; McDonald, Vanessa M

2017-06-01

Severe asthma is a complex heterogeneous disease that is refractory to standard treatment and is complicated by multiple comorbidities and risk factors. In mild to moderate asthma, the burden of disease can be minimised by inhaled corticosteroids, bronchodilators and self-management education. In severe asthma, however, management is more complex. When patients with asthma continue to experience symptoms and exacerbations despite optimal management, severe refractory asthma (SRA) should be suspected and confirmed, and other aetiologies ruled out. Once a diagnosis of SRA is established, patients should undergo a systematic and multidimensional assessment to identify inflammatory endotypes, risk factors and comorbidities, with targeted and individualised management initiated. We describe a practical approach to assessment and management of patients with SRA. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Allergy in severe asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Del Giacco, Stefano R.; Bakirtas, A.; Bel, E.; Custovic, A.; Diamant, Z.; Hamelmann, E.; Heffler, E.; Kalayci, O.; Saglani, S.; Sergejeva, S.; Seys, S.; Simpson, A.; Bjermer, Leif

It is well recognized that atopic sensitization is an important risk factor for asthma, both in adults and in children. However, the role of allergy in severe asthma is still under debate. The term 'Severe Asthma' encompasses a highly heterogeneous group of patients who require treatment on steps

The effectiveness of the treatment of severe exercise-induced asthma in schoolchildren

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M.N. Garas

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background. Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic multifactorial diseases of the lungs. At least 10–12 % of patients with bronchial asthma are suffering from a severe form of the disease. One aspect of inadequate severe asthma control is its phenotypic heterogeneity, interest of experts increases to the problem of exercise-induced asthma. The purpose of the study was to increase efficiency of treatment for severe exercise-induced asthma in schoolchildren based on the analysis of the attack dynamics and to achieve disease control according to main inflammatometric and spirometric indices. Materials and methods. We examined 46 children with severe persistent bronchial asthma, in particular, 15 schoolchildren suffering from severe exercise-induced asthma, the second clinical group (comparison one consisted of 31 children suffering from severe type of the disease, with no signs of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Basic therapy effectiveness was determined prospectively by assessing the disease control using AST-test with an interval of 3 months. The severity of bronchial obstruction syndrome in patients on admission to hospital during exacerbation was assessed by score scale. Airway hyperresponsiveness was evaluated according to the results of bronchoprovocation with histamine. Results. Children of I clinical group had more significant manifestations of bronchial obstruction during the week of inpatient treatment than the comparison group of patients, including significantly more severe manifestations of bronchial obstruction were verified on 1st and 7th day of hospitalization. Due to the analysis of basic therapy effectiveness, only a quarter of I clinical group patients and a larger part of schoolchildren in comparison group achieved the partial control after a 3-month course of anti-inflammatory treatment. Eosinophilic inflammation was observed in most children with severe exercise-induced asthma (60.1 % and in 47.2 % of

Effect of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease on Disease Severity and Characteristics of Lung Functional Changes in Patients with Asthma

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Sharifi Akbar

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Almost one third of patients with asthma have symptomatic evidence for coexisting gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, which is thought to be aggravating factor in asthma at least in some cases. We investigated the impact of coexisting GERD on asthma severity and parameters of lung function.Methods: Ninety two asthma patients diagnosed according to ATS criteria were studied. After full history and physical examination, asthma severity was measured in each patient using asthma control test (ACT. GERD symptoms was verified in each patient. Impulse oscillometry(IOS and lung volume studies (using body-plethysmography and IOS were performed. Thedifference between total airway resistance (TAWR indicated by resistance at 5 Hz and centralairway resistance (CAWR as indicated by resistance at 20 Hz in oscillometry was calculated and considered as representative of resistance at peripheral airways (PAWR. The relationship between the presences of GERD symptoms, ACT score and parameters of lung function were analyzed.Results: PAWR and TAWR were both significantly higher in asthmatic patients with GERD symptoms than patients without GERD symptoms (256.64±161.21 versus 191.68±98.64; P=0.02,and 102.73±122.39 versus 56.76±71.43; P=0.01, respectively. However, no significant difference was noted in mean values of ACT, FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, FVC (forced vitalcapacity, PEF (peak expiratory flow, and CAWR in these two groups.Conclusion: These findings suggest that the severity of asthma as measured by ACT score is notdifferent in patients with and without GERD symptoms. However, total and peripheral airway resistance measured by IOS is significantly higher in asthmatic patients with GERD symptoms.

Risk factors for death in patients with severe asthma

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Andréia Guedes Oliva Fernandes

2014-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for death among patients with severe asthma. METHODS: This was a nested case-control study. Among the patients with severe asthma treated between December of 2002 and December of 2010 at the Central Referral Outpatient Clinic of the Bahia State Asthma Control Program, in the city of Salvador, Brazil, we selected all those who died, as well as selecting other patients with severe asthma to be used as controls (at a ratio of 1:4. Data were collected from the medical charts of the patients, home visit reports, and death certificates. RESULTS: We selected 58 cases of deaths and 232 control cases. Most of the deaths were attributed to respiratory causes and occurred within a health care facility. Advanced age, unemployment, rhinitis, symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, long-standing asthma, and persistent airflow obstruction were common features in both groups. Multivariate analysis showed that male gender, FEV1 pre-bronchodilator < 60% of predicted, and the lack of control of asthma symptoms were significantly and independently associated with mortality in this sample of patients with severe asthma. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of outpatients with severe asthma, the deaths occurred predominantly due to respiratory causes and within a health care facility. Lack of asthma control and male gender were risk factors for mortality.

Asthma Is More Severe in Older Adults

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Dweik, Raed A.; Comhair, Suzy A.; Bleecker, Eugene R.; Moore, Wendy C.; Peters, Stephen P.; Busse, William W.; Jarjour, Nizar N.; Calhoun, William J.; Castro, Mario; Chung, K. Fan; Fitzpatrick, Anne; Israel, Elliot; Teague, W. Gerald; Wenzel, Sally E.; Love, Thomas E.; Gaston, Benjamin M.

2015-01-01

Background Severe asthma occurs more often in older adult patients. We hypothesized that the greater risk for severe asthma in older individuals is due to aging, and is independent of asthma duration. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of prospectively collected data from adult participants (N=1130; 454 with severe asthma) enrolled from 2002 – 2011 in the Severe Asthma Research Program. Results The association between age and the probability of severe asthma, which was performed by applying a Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoother, revealed an inflection point at age 45 for risk of severe asthma. The probability of severe asthma increased with each year of life until 45 years and thereafter increased at a much slower rate. Asthma duration also increased the probability of severe asthma but had less effect than aging. After adjustment for most comorbidities of aging and for asthma duration using logistic regression, asthmatics older than 45 maintained the greater probability of severe asthma [OR: 2.73 (95 CI: 1.96; 3.81)]. After 45, the age-related risk of severe asthma continued to increase in men, but not in women. Conclusions Overall, the impact of age and asthma duration on risk for asthma severity in men and women is greatest over times of 18-45 years of age; age has a greater effect than asthma duration on risk of severe asthma. PMID:26200463

Environmental and Personal Factors Related to Asthma Severity among Children: Hospital Based Study, Egypt

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Omaima Ibrahim AboElkheir

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Childhood asthma is a complex disorder in which many environmental and personal factors play a role. However, the contribution of these factors to asthma severity is poorly understood. This study aims to determine the relationship between environmental exposures, personal factors and asthma severity among asthmatic children. Methods: This cross-sectional hospital based study was conducted on 180 asthmatic children; they were divided into mild, moderate and severe asthma according to forced expiratory volume in first second. Environmental factors (indoor and outdoor, food allergy, history of other allergic diseases, family history of allergic disorders, time trend of attacks as well as asthma outcome were reported. Results: Children with severe asthma were younger than those with mild or moderate asthma. Severe asthma was significantly linked to family history of allergy, presence of co-morbid allergic diseases, fish, egg and milk allergy, as well as exposure to passive smoking (73.7% and poor housing conditions. Also, it was significantly linked to presence of unauthorized factories in residential area (31.6 %, p=0.001. As well as, contact with pets (42.1%. Children with severe asthma had more limitations of physical activities (73.7%, missed school days (81.5%, with poor school performance (p=0.04 than those with mild moderate or asthma. Conclusion: Severe asthma was linked to female gender and younger age, co-morbid allergic diseases, family history of atopy and food allergy. It was higher among children residing in places with unauthorized factories and living in substandard housing condition. Children with severe asthma had poor asthma outcome.

Phenotypes Determined by Cluster Analysis in Moderate to Severe Bronchial Asthma.

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Youroukova, Vania M; Dimitrova, Denitsa G; Valerieva, Anna D; Lesichkova, Spaska S; Velikova, Tsvetelina V; Ivanova-Todorova, Ekaterina I; Tumangelova-Yuzeir, Kalina D

2017-06-01

Bronchial asthma is a heterogeneous disease that includes various subtypes. They may share similar clinical characteristics, but probably have different pathological mechanisms. To identify phenotypes using cluster analysis in moderate to severe bronchial asthma and to compare differences in clinical, physiological, immunological and inflammatory data between the clusters. Forty adult patients with moderate to severe bronchial asthma out of exacerbation were included. All underwent clinical assessment, anthropometric measurements, skin prick testing, standard spirometry and measurement fraction of exhaled nitric oxide. Blood eosinophilic count, serum total IgE and periostin levels were determined. Two-step cluster approach, hierarchical clustering method and k-mean analysis were used for identification of the clusters. We have identified four clusters. Cluster 1 (n=14) - late-onset, non-atopic asthma with impaired lung function, Cluster 2 (n=13) - late-onset, atopic asthma, Cluster 3 (n=6) - late-onset, aspirin sensitivity, eosinophilic asthma, and Cluster 4 (n=7) - early-onset, atopic asthma. Our study is the first in Bulgaria in which cluster analysis is applied to asthmatic patients. We identified four clusters. The variables with greatest force for differentiation in our study were: age of asthma onset, duration of diseases, atopy, smoking, blood eosinophils, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs hypersensitivity, baseline FEV1/FVC and symptoms severity. Our results support the concept of heterogeneity of bronchial asthma and demonstrate that cluster analysis can be an useful tool for phenotyping of disease and personalized approach to the treatment of patients.

An integrated model of environmental factors in adult asthma lung function and disease severity: a cross-sectional study

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Katz Patricia P

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Diverse environmental exposures, studied separately, have been linked to health outcomes in adult asthma, but integrated multi-factorial effects have not been modeled. We sought to evaluate the contribution of combined social and physical environmental exposures to adult asthma lung function and disease severity. Methods Data on 176 subjects with asthma and/or rhinitis were collected via telephone interviews for sociodemographic factors and asthma severity (scored on a 0-28 point range. Dust, indoor air quality, antigen-specific IgE antibodies, and lung function (percent predicted FEV1 were assessed through home visits. Neighborhood socioeconomic status, proximity to traffic, land use, and ambient air quality data were linked to the individual-level data via residential geocoding. Multiple linear regression separately tested the explanatory power of five groups of environmental factors for the outcomes, percent predicted FEV1 and asthma severity. Final models retained all variables statistically associated (p Results Mean FEV1 was 85.0 ± 18.6%; mean asthma severity score was 6.9 ± 5.6. Of 29 variables screened, 13 were retained in the final model of FEV1 (R2 = 0.30; p 2 = 0.16; p 1 as an independent variable to the severity model further increased its explanatory power (R2 = 0.25. Conclusions Multivariate models covering a range of individual and environmental factors explained nearly a third of FEV1 variability and, taking into account lung function, one quarter of variability in asthma severity. These data support an integrated approach to modeling adult asthma outcomes, including both the physical and the social environment.

The Prevalence of Severe Asthma and Low Asthma Control Among Danish Adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

von Bülow, Anna; Kriegbaum, Margit; Backer, Vibeke

2014-01-01

asthma, the extent of asthma control, and contact with specialist care. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional register study was performed. By using a nationwide prescription database, we identified current patients with asthma (age, 18-44 years) in 2010. Severity was classified as severe versus mild......-moderate asthma according to the level of antiasthma treatment. We investigated prescription drug use, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and outpatient clinic visits according to severity. RESULTS: Among a nationwide population, we identified 61,583 current patients with asthma. Based on the level...... asthma and low asthma control were not managed by specialist care. Patients with severe asthma with specialist contact more frequently had impaired asthma control compared with subjects not treated by a specialist (44.4% vs 33.1%, P

Therapeutic interventions in severe asthma.

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Canonica, Giorgio Walter; Senna, Gianenrico; Mitchell, Patrick D; O'Byrne, Paul M; Passalacqua, Giovanni; Varricchi, Gilda

2016-01-01

The present paper addresses severe asthma which is limited to 5-10% of the overall population of asthmatics. However, it accounts for 50% or more of socials costs of the disease, as it is responsible for hospitalizations and Emergency Department accesses as well as expensive treatments. The recent identification of different endotypes of asthma, based on the inflammatory pattern, has led to the development of tailored treatments that target different inflammatory mediators. These are major achievements in the perspective of Precision Medicine: a leading approach to the modern treatment strategy. Omalizumab, an anti-IgE antibody, has been the only biologic treatment available on the market for severe asthma during the last decade. It prevents the linkage of the IgE and the receptors, thereby inhibiting mast cell degranulation. In clinical practice omalizumab significantly reduced the asthma exacerbations as well as the concomitant use of oral glucocorticoids. In the "Th2-high asthma" phenotype, the hallmarks are increased levels of eosinophils and other markers (such as periostin). Because anti-IL-5 in this condition plays a crucial role in driving eosinophil inflammation, this cytokine or its receptors on the eosinophil surface has been studied as a potential target for therapy. Two different anti-IL-5 humanized monoclonal antibodies, mepolizumab and reslizumab, have been proven effective in this phenotype of asthma (recently they both came on the market in the United States), as well as an anti-IL-5 receptor alpha (IL5Rα), benralizumab. Other monoclonal antibodies, targeting different cytokines (IL-13, IL-4, IL-17 and TSLP) are still under evaluation, though the preliminary results are encouraging. Finally, AIT, Allergen Immunotherapy, a prototype of Precision Medicine, is considered, also in light of the recent evidences of Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) tablet efficacy and safety in mite allergic asthma patients. Given the high costs of these therapies

Predictive factors for moderate or severe exacerbations in asthma patients receiving outpatient care

OpenAIRE

Guti?rrez, Francisco Javier ?lvarez; Galv?n, Marta Ferrer; Gallardo, Juan Francisco Medina; Mancera, Marta Barrera; Romero, Beatriz Romero; Falc?n, Auxiliadora Romero

2017-01-01

Background Asthma exacerbations are important events that affect disease control, but predictive factors for severe or moderate exacerbations are not known. The objective was to study the predictive factors for moderate (ME) and severe (SE) exacerbations in asthma patients receiving outpatient care. Methods Patients aged?>?12?years with asthma were included in the study and followed-up at 4-monthly intervals over a 12-month period. Clinical (severity, level of control, asthma control test [AC...

How should treatment approaches differ depending on the severity of asthma?

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Kupczyk, Maciej; Kuna, Piotr

2017-12-01

Asthma is nowadays regarded as a syndrome of various overlapping phenotypes with defined clinical characteristics, different underlying inflammatory mechanisms, identifiable genetic background, environmental risk factors and possible biomarkers. There are no doubts that due to the diversity of asthma, a 'one size fits all' management of the disease is no longer valid. Areas covered: Nowadays asthma management is based on the control of the disease, and the goals of asthma treatment are defined as good symptom control, decreased future risk of exacerbations, fixed airflow limitation, and side-effects of treatment. Alternative strategies for adjusting asthma treatment such as sputum or exhaled nitric oxide guided protocols have been evaluated and despite some effectiveness, are regarded as impractical in every-day clinical conditions. Further studies in the field of asthma phenotypes/endotypes and biomarkers are warranted with the main goal to define which of those possible subgroups will be useful in clinical practice in regards to the potential allocation of successful treatment. Expert commentary: Despite the availability of guidelines on the diagnosis and management of asthma, it seems that the disease is still not optimally controlled. Addressing unmet needs in every day care, improving education, adherence/compliance and inhalation technique may significantly improve asthma control across all severities of the disease.

Managing problematic severe asthma: beyond the guidelines.

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Pike, Katharine C; Levy, Mark L; Moreiras, John; Fleming, Louise

2018-04-01

This review discusses issues related to managing problematic severe asthma in children and young people. A small minority of children have genuinely severe asthma symptoms which are difficult to control. Children with genuinely severe asthma need investigations and treatments beyond those described within conventional guidelines. However, the majority of children with poor symptom control despite high-intensity treatment achieve improvement in their asthma control once attention has been paid to the basics of asthma management. Basic asthma management requires optimisation of inhaler technique and treatment adherence, avoidance of environmental triggers and self-management education. It is also important that clinicians recognise risk factors that predispose patients to asthma exacerbations and potentially life-threatening attacks. These correctable issues need to be tackled in partnership with children and young people and their families. This requires a coordinated approach between professionals across healthcare settings. Establishing appropriate infrastructure for coordinated asthma care benefits not only those with problematic severe asthma, but also the wider asthma population as similar correctable issues exist for children with asthma of all severities. Investigation and management of genuine severe asthma requires specialist multidisciplinary expertise and a systematic approach to characterising patients' asthma phenotypes and delivering individualised care. While inhaled corticosteroids continue to play a leading role in asthma therapy, new treatments on the horizon might further support phenotype-specific therapy. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Basophil Membrane Expression of Epithelial Cytokine Receptors in Patients with Severe Asthma.

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Boita, Monica; Heffler, Enrico; Omedè, Paola; Bellocchia, Michela; Bussolino, Claudia; Solidoro, Paolo; Giorgis, Veronica; Guerrera, Francesco; Riva, Giuseppe; Brussino, Luisa; Bucca, Caterina; Rolla, Giovanni

2018-01-01

Severe asthma is a heterogeneous disease, which is characterized by airway damage and remodeling. All triggers of asthma, such as allergens, bacteria, viruses, and pollutants, interact with the airway epithelial cells, which drive the airway inflammatory response through the release of cytokines, particularly IL-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). To investigate whether the expression of the IL-25, IL-33, and TSLP receptors on the basophil membrane are associated with asthma severity. Twenty-six patients with asthma (11 severe and 15 moderate/mild) and 10 healthy subjects (controls) were enrolled in the study. The results of the basophil activation test and flow cytometry analysis were assessed to investigate basophil membrane expression of IL-25, TSLP, and IL-33 receptors before and after IgE stimulation. IL-25 and IL-33 receptor expression on the basophil membrane at baseline were significantly higher in patients with severe asthma than in those with mild/moderate asthma or healthy subjects, independent of atopy, eosinophilia, asthma control, and exacerbation frequency. Following IgE stimulation, a significantly higher increase in the IL-25 and IL-33 receptors was observed in mild/moderate versus severe asthma. The high expression of the IL-25 and IL-33 receptors on the basophil membrane of patients with severe asthma indicates an overstimulation of basophils by these cytokines in severe asthma. This finding can possibly be used as a biomarker of asthma severity. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Omalizumab Treatment Response in a Population With Severe Allergic Asthma and Overlapping COPD.

Science.gov (United States)

Maltby, Steven; Gibson, Peter G; Powell, Heather; McDonald, Vanessa M

2017-01-01

Asthma and COPD are common airway diseases. Individuals with overlapping asthma and COPD experience increased health impairment and severe disease exacerbations. Efficacious treatment options are required for this population. Omalizumab (anti-IgE) therapy is effective in patients with severe persistent asthma, but limited data are available on efficacy in populations with overlapping asthma and COPD. Data from the Australian Xolair Registry were used to compare treatment responses in individuals with asthma-COPD overlap with responses in patients with severe asthma alone. Participants were assessed at baseline and after 6 months of omalizumab treatment. We used several different definitions of asthma-COPD overlap. First, we compared participants with a previous physician diagnosis of COPD to participants with no COPD diagnosis. We then made comparisons based on baseline lung function, comparing participants with an FEV 1 80% predicted after bronchodilator use. In the population with an FEV 1 Omalizumab treatment markedly improved asthma control and health-related quality of life in all populations assessed based on the Asthma Control Questionnaire and Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire scores. Omalizumab treatment did not improve lung function (FEV 1 , FVC, or FEV 1 /FVC ratio) in populations that were enriched for asthma-COPD overlap (diagnosis of COPD or FEV 1  omalizumab improves asthma control and health-related quality of life in individuals with severe allergic asthma and overlapping COPD. These findings provide real-world efficacy data for this patient population and suggest that omalizumab is useful in the management of severe asthma with COPD overlap. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of Body Mass Index with Asthma Severity and Pulmonary Function among Asthmatic Children

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Rasuol Nasiri Kalmarzi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease in respiratory system and obesity is another inflammatory disease which incidence rate is increasing. Although, many studies have been conducted on severity of asthma and its relationship with obesity, but different results have been obtained. This study aimed to determine a relationship between asthma severity, Body Mass Index (BMI and pulmonary function in Kurdistan province, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study 90 asthmatic patients referred to referral hospital in Kurdistan, North West of Iran, were selected by simple random method. BMI was calculated by dividing weight by height.Pulmonary Function Test (PFT and bronchial-stimulation-test were used for confirmation and investigation of asthma severity. Data were analyzed using SPSS-15 and Chi-square and spearman correlation coefficient tests. Results: Relationship between BMI and severity of asthma (mild, medium and severe was evaluated, there was a relationship and positive relationship between them (P

[Role of serum S1P levels during asthma attack in the evaluation of asthma severity].

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Zhao, Yunwei; Xu, Yiqin; Li, Shuang; Wei, Yu; Wang, Chunling

2017-09-01

To observe the changes of serum sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) level in asthmatic patients with different severity of bronchial asthma, and to explore the evaluation value of S1P on the severity of asthma. A prospective observational study was conducted. Fifty-two patients with asthma admitted to Department of Respiratory Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University from November 2015 to January 2017 were enrolled. According to the severity of the disease, the patients were divided into mild, moderate and severe groups. In the same period, 25 healthy subjects were served as healthy control group. All the subjects got the peripheral venous blood collection in the morning fasting, the level of serum S1P was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the peripheral blood eosinophil (EOS) was counted, and the pulmonary function test was performed. The correlation among the parameters was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was plotted, and the value of serum S1P on evaluating the severity of asthma was analyzed. Fifty-two asthma patients were enrolled, including 17 patients of the mild, 19 of the moderate, and 16 of the severe. Compared with the healthy control group, serum S1P level and peripheral blood EOS in different degree asthma groups were significantly increased, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was decreased significantly; and with asthma exacerbations, serum S1P levels and peripheral blood EOS were gradually increased [mild, moderate and severe S1P (nmol/L) were 1 537.0±120.3, 1 980.7±149.5, 2 202.2±117.2 (F = 274.624, P = 0.001); EOS (×10 9 /L) were 0.13±0.06, 0.20±0.07, 0.37±0.14 , respectively (F = 44.093, P = 0.001)], and FEV1 was decreased gradually [mild, moderate and severe were 0.89±0.05, 0.63±0.06, 0.42±0.10, respectively (F = 159.756, P = 0.001)]. Correlation analysis showed that there were significant positive correlations between serum S1P

Atopy, but not obesity is associated with asthma severity among children with persistent asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Kim D; Phipatanakul, Wanda; Perzanowski, Matthew S; Balcer-Whaley, Susan; Matsui, Elizabeth C

2016-12-01

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of asthma in children. Atopic sensitization is a major risk factor for asthma including severe asthma in children. It is unclear if obesity is associated with worse asthma control or severity in children and how its effects compare to atopy. We sought to examine relationships of weight status and atopy to asthma control and severity among a population of predominantly low income, minority children and adolescents with persistent asthma. A cross-sectional analysis of 832 children and adolescents, age range 5-17 years, with persistent asthma was performed. Clinical assessments included asthma questionnaires of symptoms, asthma severity score, health care utilization and medication treatment step, lung function testing, and skin prick testing as well as measures of adiposity. Data were collected between December 2010 and August 2014 from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD and Children's Hospital of Boston, MA. Obesity was not associated with worse asthma control or severity in this group of predominantly low income, minority children and adolescents with persistent asthma. However, a greater degree of atopy was associated with lower lung function, higher asthma severity score, and higher medication treatment step. Atopy may be a more important risk factor for asthma severity than obesity among low-income minority children and adolescents with persistent asthma living in Northeastern cities in the United States.

Lower prevalence and greater severity of asthma in hot and dry climate

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Marco Aurélio de Valois Correia Junior

2017-03-01

Conclusion: Asthma prevalence in this low‐humidity environment was lower, but more severe than those reported in other Brazilian cities. The dry climate might hamper disease control and this may have contributed to the higher school absenteeism observed. The association of asthma with allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis as well as a history of asthma in parents suggests that atopy is an important risk factor for asthma in this population.

[Severe uncontrolled asthma in patients over 75 years old: Treatment with omalizumab].

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Romand, P; Kelkel, E; Saint-Raymond, C; Glas, N; Caillaud, D; Devouassoux, G

2016-05-01

With an aging population and an increase in the prevalence of asthma, this disease is becoming more common in the elderly. Nevertheless, the management of severe asthma can be complex, due to an increased risk of uncontrolled disease in patients over 65 years old and partly to the inherent characteristics of old age: comorbidities, underestimation of the role of allergies, poor adherence, difficulties with inhalation devices, etc. We report two cases of women over 75 with severe persistent allergic asthma not controlled by high doses of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-2-agonists in whom treatment with omalizumab was initiated. Following treatment with omalizumab a decrease in the number and severity of exacerbations, improved asthma control and dose reduction or discontinuation of systemic corticosteroids were observed. The tolerance of omalizumab was good in both cases. Omalizumab is to be considered an effective and well-tolerated therapeutic option for elderly patients with inadequately controlled severe allergic asthma. Copyright © 2015 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Asthma in childhood: a complex, heterogeneous disease

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Hai Lee Chung

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Asthma in childhood is a heterogeneous disease with different phenotypes and variable clinical manifestations, which depend on the age, gender, genetic background, and environmental influences of the patients. Several longitudinal studies have been conducted to classify the phenotypes of childhood asthma, on the basis of the symptoms, triggers of wheezing illness, or pathophysiological features of the disease. These studies have provided us with important information about the different wheezing phenotypes in young children and about potential mechanisms and risk factors for the development of chronic asthma. The goal of these studies was to provide a better insight into the causes and natural course of childhood asthma. It is well-known that complicated interactions between genes and environmental factors contribute to the development of asthma. Because childhood is a period of rapid growth in both the lungs and the immune system, developmental factors should be considered in the pathogenesis of childhood asthma. The pulmonary system continues to grow and develop until linear growth is completed. Longitudinal studies have reported significant age-related immune development during postnatal early life. These observations suggest that the phenotypes of childhood asthma vary among children and also in an individual child over time. Improved classification of heterogeneous conditions of the disease will help determine novel strategies for primary and secondary prevention and for the development of individualized treatment for childhood asthma.

Clinical and inflammatory characteristics of the European U-BIOPRED adult severe asthma cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaw, Dominick E; Sousa, Ana R; Fowler, Stephen J

2015-01-01

U-BIOPRED is a European Union consortium of 20 academic institutions, 11 pharmaceutical companies and six patient organisations with the objective of improving the understanding of asthma disease mechanisms using a systems biology approach.This cross-sectional assessment of adults with severe...... asthma, mild/moderate asthma and healthy controls from 11 European countries consisted of analyses of patient-reported outcomes, lung function, blood and airway inflammatory measurements.Patients with severe asthma (nonsmokers, n=311; smokers/ex-smokers, n=110) had more symptoms and exacerbations...

DNA methylation levels associated with race and childhood asthma severity.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Marcia A; Ciaccio, Christina E; Gigliotti, Nicole M; Rezaiekhaligh, Mo; Siedlik, Jacob A; Kennedy, Kevin; Barnes, Charles S

2017-10-01

Asthma is a common chronic childhood disease worldwide. Socioeconomic status, genetic predisposition and environmental factors contribute to its incidence and severity. A disproportionate number of children with asthma are economically disadvantaged and live in substandard housing with potential indoor environmental exposures such as cockroaches, dust mites, rodents and molds. These exposures may manifest through epigenetic mechanisms that can lead to changes in relevant gene expression. We examined the association of global DNA methylation levels with socioeconomic status, asthma severity and race/ethnicity. We measured global DNA methylation in peripheral blood of children with asthma enrolled in the Kansas City Safe and Healthy Homes Program. Inclusion criteria included residing in the same home for a minimum of 4 days per week and total family income of less than 80% of the Kansas City median family income. DNA methylation levels were quantified by an immunoassay that assessed the percentage of 5-methylcytosine. Our results indicate that overall, African American children had higher levels of global DNA methylation than children of other races/ethnicities (p = 0.029). This difference was more pronounced when socioeconomic status and asthma severity were coupled with race/ethnicity (p = 0.042) where low-income, African American children with persistent asthma had significantly elevated methylation levels relative to other races/ethnicities in the same context (p = 0.006, Hedges g = 1.14). Our study demonstrates a significant interaction effect among global DNA methylation levels, asthma severity, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Assessment of asthma severity in adults with ever asthma: A continuous score.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucia Calciano

Full Text Available In epidemiological studies, continuous measures of asthma severity should be used to catch the heterogeneity of phenotypes. This study aimed at developing and validating continuous measures of asthma severity in adult patients with ever asthma from the general population, to be used in epidemiological studies.Respiratory symptoms, anti-asthmatic treatment and lung function were measured on 520 patients with ever asthma aged 20-64 years from the general Italian population (GEIRD study; 2007/2010. The variables that represent the same dimension of asthma severity were identified through an exploratory factor analysis and were summarized through a multiple factor analysis.Only respiratory symptoms and anti-asthmatic treatment were summarized in a continuous score (STS. STS ranges from 0 (no symptoms/treatment to 10 (maximum symptom frequency and treatment intensity. STS was positively correlated with the Global Initiative for Asthma classification of asthma severity computed on the 137 cases with a doctor's diagnosis (Spearman's coefficient = 0.61, p-value<0.0001 (concurrent validity. Furthermore, using a cohort of 1,097 European asthmatics (ECRHS II study; 1999/2002, increasing STS levels at baseline (1991/1993 were positively associated with long-term outcomes (hospitalization and lost workdays for breathing problems, asthma attack frequency and use of asthma controllers (predictive validity. Finally, the STS scores computed from the GEIRD and ECRHS II data were comparable (Lin's coefficient = 0.95, p-value<0.0001 (replication analysis.STS is a valid and replicable measure of asthma severity in adults, which could be used in association studies.

Air pollution and asthma severity in adults

Science.gov (United States)

Rage, Estelle; Siroux, Valérie; Künzli, Nino; Pin, Isabelle; Kauffmann, Francine

2009-01-01

Objectives There is evidence that exposure to air pollution affects asthma, but the effect of air pollution on asthma severity has not been addressed. The aim was to assess the relation between asthma severity during the past 12 months and home outdoor concentrations of air pollution. Methods Asthma severity over the last 12 months was assessed in two complementary ways among 328 adult asthmatics from the French Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma (EGEA) examined between 1991 and 1995. The 4-class severity score integrated clinical events and type of treatment. The 5-level asthma score is based only on the occurrence of symptoms. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) concentrations were assigned to each residence using two different methods. The first was based on the closest monitor data from 1991–1995. The second consisted in spatial models that used geostatistical interpolations and then assigned air pollutants to the geo-coded residences (1998). Results Higher asthma severity score was significantly related to the 8-hour average of ozone during April-September (O3-8hr) and the number of days (O3-days) with 8-hour ozone averages above 110 μg.m−3 (for a 36-day increase, equivalent to the inter quartile range, in O3-days, odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 2.22 (1.61–3.07) for one class difference in score). Adjustment for age, sex, smoking habits, occupational exposure, and educational level did not alter results. Asthma severity was unrelated to NO2. Both exposure assessment methods and severity scores resulted in very similar findings. SO2 correlated with severity but reached statistical significance only for the model based assignment of exposure. Conclusions The observed associations between asthma severity and air pollution, in particular O3, support the hypothesis that air pollution at levels far below current standards increases asthma severity. PMID:19017701

Application of the asthma phenotype algorithm from the Severe Asthma Research Program to an urban population.

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Paru Patrawalla

Full Text Available Identification and characterization of asthma phenotypes are challenging due to disease complexity and heterogeneity. The Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP used unsupervised cluster analysis to define 5 phenotypically distinct asthma clusters that they replicated using 3 variables in a simplified algorithm. We evaluated whether this simplified SARP algorithm could be used in a separate and diverse urban asthma population to recreate these 5 phenotypic clusters.The SARP simplified algorithm was applied to adults with asthma recruited to the New York University/Bellevue Asthma Registry (NYUBAR to classify patients into five groups. The clinical phenotypes were summarized and compared.Asthma subjects in NYUBAR (n = 471 were predominantly women (70% and Hispanic (57%, which were demographically different from the SARP population. The clinical phenotypes of the five groups generated by the simplified SARP algorithm were distinct across groups and distributed similarly to those described for the SARP population. Groups 1 and 2 (6 and 63%, respectively had predominantly childhood onset atopic asthma. Groups 4 and 5 (20% were older, with the longest duration of asthma, increased symptoms and exacerbations. Group 4 subjects were the most atopic and had the highest peripheral eosinophils. Group 3 (10% had the least atopy, but included older obese women with adult-onset asthma, and increased exacerbations.Application of the simplified SARP algorithm to the NYUBAR yielded groups that were phenotypically distinct and useful to characterize disease heterogeneity. Differences across NYUBAR groups support phenotypic variation and support the use of the simplified SARP algorithm for classification of asthma phenotypes in future prospective studies to investigate treatment and outcome differences between these distinct groups.Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00212537.

A review of omalizumab for the management of severe asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ching-Hsiung; Cheng, Shih-Lung

2016-01-01

Despite the expansion of the understanding in asthma pathophysiology and the continual advances in disease management, a small subgroup of patients remain partially controlled or refractory to standard treatments. Upon the identification of immunoglobulin E and other inflammatory mediators, investigations and developments of targeted agents have thrived. Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the circulating immunoglobulin E, which in turn impedes and reduces subsequent releases of the proinflammatory mediators. In the past decade, omalizumab has been proven to be efficacious and well-tolerated in the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma in both trials and real-life studies, most notably in reducing exacerbation rates and corticosteroid use. While growing evidence has demonstrated that omalizumab may be potentially beneficial in treating other allergic diseases, its indication remains confined to treating severe allergic asthma and chronic idiopathic urticaria. Future efforts may be focused on determining the optimal length of omalizumab treatment, seeking biomarkers that could better predict treatment response, as well as extending its indications.

Studying the Effects of Fasting during Ramadan on Pulmonary Functioning Test and Asthma Severity

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Seyyed Hassan Adeli

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Studies have shown that fasting can have an impact on the course and severity of chronic diseases. There are a few studies on the association of fasting and asthma. Therefore, this study has been conducted with the purpose of examining the effects of fasting on asthma severity and pulmonary functioning tests. Methods: 30 patients with asthma who attended a pulmonology clinic in Qom were enrolled in this study. The severity of patients’ asthma has been studied by questionnaire and spirometry of pulmonary functioning in the month of Shaban, Ramadan and Shawwal. The results of Asthma Control Questionnaire and the pulmonary functioning tests in three months have been compared. Results: The average age of patients was 43.42 years and 43.3% of patients were males. The Average score for asthma severity questionnaire in three months were 20.4, 21 and 20.17 respectively. Statistically, there haven’t been any significant differences between the results of pulmonary functioning test and asthma severity before Ramadan (Shaban, during Ramadan and after that (Shawwal. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that fasting in patients with asthma has no effect on pulmonary function and asthma severity.

Mechanical ventilation for severe asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Leatherman, James

2015-06-01

Acute exacerbations of asthma can lead to respiratory failure requiring ventilatory assistance. Noninvasive ventilation may prevent the need for endotracheal intubation in selected patients. For patients who are intubated and undergo mechanical ventilation, a strategy that prioritizes avoidance of ventilator-related complications over correction of hypercapnia was first proposed 30 years ago and has become the preferred approach. Excessive pulmonary hyperinflation is a major cause of hypotension and barotrauma. An appreciation of the key determinants of hyperinflation is essential to rational ventilator management. Standard therapy for patients with asthma undergoing mechanical ventilation consists of inhaled bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and drugs used to facilitate controlled hypoventilation. Nonconventional interventions such as heliox, general anesthesia, bronchoscopy, and extracorporeal life support have also been advocated for patients with fulminant asthma but are rarely necessary. Immediate mortality for patients who are mechanically ventilated for acute severe asthma is very low and is often associated with out-of-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest before intubation. However, patients who have been intubated for severe asthma are at increased risk for death from subsequent exacerbations and must be managed accordingly in the outpatient setting.

The burden of severe asthma in childhood and adolescence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fleming, Louise; Murray, Clare; Bansal, Aruna T

2015-01-01

U-BIOPRED aims to characterise paediatric and adult severe asthma using conventional and innovative systems biology approaches. A total of 99 school-age children with severe asthma and 81 preschoolers with severe wheeze were compared with 49 school-age children with mild/moderate asthma and 53...... in the severe wheeze cohort. Almost all participants in each cohort were atopic and had a normal body mass index. Asthma-related quality of life, as assessed by the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) and the Paediatric Asthma Caregiver's Quality of Life Questionnaire (PACQLQ), was worse...... and mild/moderate cohorts were clinically very similar. Children with severe preschool wheeze or severe asthma are usually atopic and have impaired quality of life that is associated with poor control and airflow limitation: a very different phenotype from adult severe asthma. In-depth phenotyping...

Examining the unmet need in adults with severe asthma

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M. R. Partridge

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Asthma currently affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide and the number is expected to rise to 400 million by 2025. Asthma morbidity remains high and the economic burden is significant. Approximately 20% of patients have severe persistent asthma. As patients with severe asthma often have a variety of conditions that may coexist with or be mistaken for asthma, careful diagnosis and management are essential, and adhering to a protocol for investigations is helpful. For patients with severe persistent asthma, the Global Initiative for Asthma 2005 guidelines recommend the use of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids in combination with a long-acting beta2-agonist, with one or more additional controller medications if required (step 4 therapy. However, recent studies have shown that asthma remains inadequately controlled in many patients with severe asthma, despite treatment in accordance with guidelines. Patients with severe asthma have the highest healthcare utilisation and mortality, and there is clearly an unmet need for the effective and safe treatment of patients with severe persistent allergic asthma who remain symptomatic despite optimised standard treatment. The latest guidelines suggest that omalizumab may address this unmet need.

Acute severe asthma presenting in late pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, S M; Thomson, K D

2006-01-01

Asthma is the commonest pre-existing medical condition to complicate pregnancy. Acute severe asthma in pregnancy is rare, but poses difficult problems. In particular, the decision about when and where to deliver the fetus is complex, since maternal response to asthma treatment is unpredictable. We report the successful management of a parturient presenting with acute severe asthma at 37 weeks' gestation. The controversies involved and the importance of adopting a multi-disciplinary team approach to optimise maternal and neonatal outcomes are discussed.

Lower prevalence and greater severity of asthma in hot and dry climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Correia Junior, Marco Aurélio de Valois; Sarinho, Emanuel Sávio Cavalcanti; Rizzo, José Angelo; Sarinho, Silvia Wanick

To estimate asthma prevalence, severity, and associated factors in adolescents who live in a low relative humidity environment. In this cross-sectional study, adolescents aged 13-14 years from the city of Petrolina located in the Brazilian semiarid region answered the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. The possible explanatory variables of the study were gender, family income, mother's education, smokers in the household, parental history of asthma, personal history of allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, and physical activity level. Poisson regression analysis was used to assess the association between asthma and the explanatory variables. A total of 1591 adolescents participated in the study, of whom 49.7% were male. The prevalence of active asthma, severe asthma, and physician-diagnosed asthma were 14.0%, 10.4%, and 17.8%, respectively. Adolescents with asthma missed more school days than their peers (33 vs. 22 days/year; pclimate might hamper disease control and this may have contributed to the higher school absenteeism observed. The association of asthma with allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis as well as a history of asthma in parents suggests that atopy is an important risk factor for asthma in this population. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Severe asthma and acute attacks: diagnosis and management in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Patients who continue to have symptoms with frequent attacks of asthma despite being adherent to treatment with multiple asthma medications, have severe asthma. Severe asthma has significant implications for the affected individual and utilise a disproportionate share of the health care costs associated with asthma.

Working while unwell: Workplace impairment in people with severe asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiles, Sarah A; Harvey, Erin S; McDonald, Vanessa M; Peters, Matthew; Bardin, Philip; Reynolds, Paul N; Upham, John W; Baraket, Melissa; Bhikoo, Zaheerodin; Bowden, Jeffrey; Brockway, Ben; Chung, Li Ping; Cochrane, Belinda; Foxley, Gloria; Garrett, Jeffrey; Hew, Mark; Jayaram, Lata; Jenkins, Christine; Katelaris, Constance; Katsoulotos, Gregory; Koh, Mariko S; Kritikos, Vicky; Lambert, Marina; Langton, David; Rivero, Alexis Lara; Marks, Guy B; Middleton, Peter G; Nanguzgambo, Aldoph; Radhakrishna, Naghmeh; Reddel, Helen; Rimmer, Janet; Southcott, Anne Marie; Sutherland, Michael; Thien, Francis; Wark, Peter Ab; Yang, Ian A; Yap, Elaine; Gibson, Peter G

2018-04-20

Severe asthma affects quality of life; however, its impact on workplace productivity is poorly understood. To compare workplace productivity - absenteeism and presenteeism - and impairment in daily activities in severe and non-severe asthma over time and identify characteristics associated with presenteeism in severe asthma. The Severe Asthma Web-based Database (SAWD) is an ongoing observational registry from Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. At April 2017, 434 patients with severe asthma and 102 with non-severe asthma were enrolled (18 to 88 years; 59% female). Participants provided comprehensive clinical and questionnaire data at baseline and were followed-up every 6 months for 24 months. Absenteeism (percentage of time not at work), presenteeism (self-reported impairment at work) and impairment in daily activities outside work due to health problems in the last week were calculated. At baseline, 61.4% of participants with severe asthma and 66.2% with non-severe asthma under 65 years were employed. At younger ages (30-50 years), fewer severe asthma participants were employed (69% vs 100%). Presenteeism and impairment in daily activity were more frequently reported in severe asthma and in participants with poorer asthma control, poorer lung function and more past-year exacerbations (pworkplace. Improving asthma control and mental health may be important targets for optimising workplace productivity in severe asthma. Presenteeism and absenteeism may represent key metrics for assessing intervention efficacy in people with severe asthma of working age. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Asthma in the elderly: a different disease?

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Salvatore Battaglia

2016-03-01

Asthma is a chronic airway disease that affects all ages, but does this definition also include the elderly? Traditionally, asthma has been considered a disease of younger age, but epidemiological studies and clinical experience support the concept that asthma is as prevalent in older age as it is in the young. With the ever-increasing elderly population worldwide, the detection and proper management of the disease in old age may have a great impact from the public health perspective. Whether asthma in the elderly maintains the same characteristics as in young populations is an interesting matter. The diagnostic process in older individuals with suspected asthma follows the same steps, namely a detailed history supported by clinical examination and laboratory investigations; however, it should be recognised that elderly patients may partially lose reversibility of airway obstruction. The correct interpretation of spirometric curves in the elderly should take into account the physiological changes in the respiratory system. Several factors contribute to delaying the diagnosis of asthma in the elderly, including the age-related impairment in perception of breathlessness. The management of asthma in advanced age is complicated by the comorbidities and polypharmacotherapy, which advocate for a comprehensive approach with a multidimensional assessment. It should be emphasised that older age frequently represents an exclusion criterion for eligibility in clinical trials, and current asthma medications have rarely been tested in elderly asthmatics. Ageing is associated with pharmacokinetic changes of the medications. As a consequence, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of antiasthmatic medications can be variably affected. Similarly, drug-to-drug interactions may reduce the effectiveness of inhaled medications and increase the risk of side-effects. For this reason, we propose the term “geriatric asthma” be preferred to the more generic “asthma in the

Severe exacerbations and decline in lung function in asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O'Byrne, Paul M; Pedersen, Søren; Lamm, Carl Johan

2009-01-01

RATIONALE: To evaluate the association between asthma exacerbations and the decline in lung function, as well as the potential effects of an inhaled corticosteroid, budesonide, on exacerbation-related decline in patients with asthma. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether severe asthma exacerbations...... with low-dose inhaled budesonide prevents severe asthma-related events (exacerbations requiring hospitalization or emergency treatment) and decline in lung function. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were 315 patients who experienced at least one severe asthma exacerbation, of which 305 were analyzable...... of reduction afforded by budesonide, in patients who experienced at least one severe asthma-related event compared with those who did not, was statistically significant (P = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: Severe asthma exacerbations are associated with a more rapid decline in lung function. Treatment with low doses...

Lower prevalence and greater severity of asthma in hot and dry climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Aurélio de Valois Correia Junior

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: To estimate asthma prevalence, severity, and associated factors in adolescents who live in a low relative humidity environment. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, adolescents aged 13-14 years from the city of Petrolina located in the Brazilian semiarid region answered the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC questionnaire. The possible explanatory variables of the study were gender, family income, mother's education, smokers in the household, parental history of asthma, personal history of allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, and physical activity level. Poisson regression analysis was used to assess the association between asthma and the explanatory variables. Results: A total of 1591 adolescents participated in the study, of whom 49.7% were male. The prevalence of active asthma, severe asthma, and physician-diagnosed asthma were 14.0%, 10.4%, and 17.8%, respectively. Adolescents with asthma missed more school days than their peers (33 vs. 22 days/year; p < 0.03. Associated factors that remained significant after adjustment were history of asthma in parents (PR = 2.65, p < 0.001 and personal diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (PR = 1.96, p < 0.001 and/or atopic dermatitis (PR = 2.18, p < 0.001. Conclusion: Asthma prevalence in this low-humidity environment was lower, but more severe than those reported in other Brazilian cities. The dry climate might hamper disease control and this may have contributed to the higher school absenteeism observed. The association of asthma with allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis as well as a history of asthma in parents suggests that atopy is an important risk factor for asthma in this population.

Severe childhood asthma and allergy to furry animals: refined assessment using molecular-based allergy diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Konradsen, Jon R; Nordlund, Björn; Onell, Annica; Borres, Magnus P; Grönlund, Hans; Hedlin, Gunilla

2014-03-01

Allergy to cats and dogs and polysensitization towards these animals are associated with severe childhood asthma. Molecular-based allergy diagnostics offers new opportunities for improved characterization and has been suggested to be particularly useful in patients with polysensitization and/or severe asthma. The aim was to use extract- and molecular-based allergy diagnostics to compare patterns of IgE sensitization towards aeroallergens in children with problematic severe and controlled asthma. Children with a positive ImmunoCAP towards any furry animal (cat, dog or horse) were recruited from a Nationwide Swedish study on severe childhood asthma. Severe (n = 37, age 13 years) and controlled (n = 28, age 14 years) asthmatics underwent assessment of allergic sensitization by ImmunoCap (kUA /l) and immunosolid-phase allergen chip (ISAC). In addition, Asthma Control Test, spirometry and a methacholine challenge were performed. Children with severe asthma had lower asthma control (p Molecular-based allergy diagnostics revealed a more complex molecular spreading of allergen components in children with the most severe disease. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Benralizumab in the treatment of severe asthma: design, development and potential place in therapy

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Pelaia C

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Corrado Pelaia,1 Alessandro Vatrella,2 Andrea Bruni,1 Rosa Terracciano,3 Girolamo Pelaia1 1Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Respiratory Diseases, “Magna Græcia” University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy; 2Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Section of Respiratory Diseases, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy; 3Department of Health Sciences, “Magna Græcia” University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy Abstract: Asthma is a widespread and heterogeneous inflammatory disease of the airways, which is characterized by several different phenotypes and endotypes. In particular, eosinophilic airway inflammation is a common pathologic trait of both allergic and nonallergic asthma. The key cytokine responsible for maturation, activation, recruitment, and survival of eosinophils is interleukin (IL-5, which is mainly produced by T helper 2 (Th2 lymphocytes and group 2 innate lymphoid cells. Therefore, for uncontrolled patients with severe eosinophilic asthma, who are not fully responsive to corticosteroids, IL-5 represents a very important molecular target for add-on biological therapies. Among these new treatments, anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibodies such as mepolizumab and reslizumab have been developed and clinically evaluated. Furthermore, benralizumab is currently the only available biologic drug that specifically binds to the IL-5 receptor, thus preventing the interaction with its ligand and the consequent pro-inflammatory effects. The effectiveness of benralizumab in improving severe eosinophilic asthma has been well-documented by many randomized controlled trials. Keywords: IL-5, IL-5 receptor, severe eosinophilic asthma, benralizumab

A study of asthma severity in adult twins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Simon Francis; van der Sluis, Sophie; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm

2012-01-01

Introduction: The tendency to develop asthma runs in families, but whether the severity of asthma symptoms is inherited is not known. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine whether genetic factors influence the variation in the severity of asthma. Methods: Of a sample of 21 133 adult......, and markers of airway impairment and allergy were measured. Results: After adjusting for confounders, genetic factors explained 24% (10%-37%), P = 0.0004, of the variation in overall asthma symptom severity, whereas non-shared environment accounted for the remaining 76% of the variation. A significant genetic...

Infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae is not related to asthma control, asthma severity, and location of airway obstruction

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Khalil Ansarin,Siavoush Abedi,Reza Ghotaslou

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Khalil Ansarin1, Siavoush Abedi1, Reza Ghotaslou1, Mohammad Hossein Soroush1, Kamyar Ghabili1, Kenneth R Chapman21Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 2Asthma and Airway Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, CanadaBackground: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an organism that reportedly has a strong relationship to asthma. However, asthma severity and location of airway obstruction have not been compared between asthmatic patients with and without evidence for remote mycoplasma infection.Objectives: The aim of this research was to study the relationship between previous M. pneumoniae infections in asthmatic patients and presence of any predilection for the involvement of central or peripheral airways, the severity of the disease, and asthma control.Methods: Sixty-two patients with asthma were assessed by a validated asthma control test (ACT. All patients underwent spirometry and lung volume studies by body plethysmography. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1, forced vital capacity (FVC, total lung capacity (TLC, residual volume (RV, and functional residual capacity (FRC were measured. An oropharyngeal swab was obtained for polymerase chain reaction analysis to detect the mycoplasma antigen. Moreover, blood samples were obtained to measure the titration of antimycoplasma immunoglobulin M (IgM and IgG antibodies. The asthmatic patients with a positive IgG for mycoplasma and negative PCR and negative IgM antibody were considered to have remote history of mycoplasma infection. The relationship between the asthma control using ACT score and pulmonary function variables were compared in patients with and without evidence for remote mycoplasma infection.Results: The incidence of postnasal drip was higher among the patients with asthma who had no evidence for remote mycoplasma infection (61.3% vs 32%, P = 0.035. The median ACT score was 16.5 (11–22 and

Role of serum eosinophil cationic protein as a biological marker to assess the severity of bronchial asthma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begum, A.; Sattar, H.; Miah, R.A.; Saleh, A.A.; Hassan, R.; Salam, A

2012-01-01

Objective: The study was carried out to evaluate the role of serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) as a biological marker for the diagnosis and to assess the severity of bronchial asthma. Methodology: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted among 70 bronchial asthma patients and 45 disease controls (tuberculosis-15, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-15, interstitial lung disease-15) enrolled from patients attending the outpatient department of the National Institute of Disease of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), Dhaka, Bangladesh during July 2010 to June 2011. Global Initiative of Asthma Management and Prevention (GINA) criteria were followed for selection of both atopic and non-atopic patients with intermittent or persistent (mild, moderate and severe) asthma. Serum level of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), IgE, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1% predicted) and circulatory eosinophil (CE) count were estimated. Results: Mean serum ECP level (28.8 +- 42.9 vs. 6.82 +- 3.5 ng/mL; P<0.001), IgE level (383.59 - 225.3 vs. 135 +- 131.8 IU/mL; P<0.001) and percent circulatory eosinophil count (9.95 +- 3.7 vs. 5.95 +- 1.4; P<0.024) were all found significantly raised among asthma patients than disease controls but % FEV1 was equivocal. All grades of persistent asthma patients had significantly (P<0.025 and P<0.002) higher mean ECP level than intermittent cases but serum IgE level and CE count did not differ significantly. FEV1 % predicted correlated well among moderate and severe persistent asthma but was equivocal for intermittent and mild persistent cases. Conclusion: This study has reinforced that serum eosinophil cationic protein is a dependable biological marker with more discriminatory power over other indicators for bronchial asthma and to assess its severity. (author)

Herbal Medicine Cordyceps sinensis Improves Health-Related Quality of Life in Moderate-to-Severe Asthma

OpenAIRE

Wang, Ningqun; Li, Jie; Huang, Xiaobo; Chen, Wenqiang; Chen, Yujing

2016-01-01

Moderate-to-severe asthma has a substantial impact on the health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) of the patients. Cordyceps sinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine that is evaluated clinically for the treatment of many diseases, such as chronic allograft nephropathy, diabetic kidney disease, and lung fibrosis. In order to investigate the effects of Cordyceps sinensis on patients with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma, 120 subjects were randomized to receive Corbin capsule containing Co...

Azithromycin for prevention of exacerbations in severe asthma (AZISAST): A multicentre randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G.G. Brusselle (Guy); C. VanderStichele (Christine); P. Jordens (Paul); R. Deman (René); H. Slabbynck (Hans); V. Ringoet (Veerle); G. Verleden (Geert); I.K. Demedts (Ingel); K.M.C. Verhamme (Katia); A. Delporte (Anja); B. Demeyere (Bénédicte); T. Claeys (Tine); J. Boelens (Jerina); E. Padalko (Elizaveta); J. Verschakelen (Johny); G. van Maele (Georges); E. Deschepper (Ellen); G.F. Joos (Guy)

2013-01-01

markdownabstract__Background:__ Patients with severe asthma are at increased risk of exacerbations and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Severe asthma is heterogeneous, encompassing eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic (mainly neutrophilic) phenotypes. Patients with neutropilic airway diseases

Effects of Age and Disease Severity on Systemic Corticosteroid Responses in Asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Phipatanakul, Wanda; Mauger, David T; Sorkness, Ronald L; Gaffin, Jonathan M; Holguin, Fernando; Woodruff, Prescott G; Ly, Ngoc P; Bacharier, Leonard B; Bhakta, Nirav R; Moore, Wendy C; Bleecker, Eugene R; Hastie, Annette T; Meyers, Deborah A; Castro, Mario; Fahy, John V; Fitzpatrick, Anne M; Gaston, Benjamin M; Jarjour, Nizar N; Levy, Bruce D; Peters, Stephen P; Teague, W Gerald; Fajt, Merritt; Wenzel, Sally E; Erzurum, Serpil C; Israel, Elliot

2017-06-01

Phenotypic distinctions between severe asthma (SA) and nonsevere asthma (NONSA) may be confounded by differential adherence or incorrect use of corticosteroids. To determine if there are persistent phenotypic distinctions between SA (as defined by 2014 American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society guidelines) and NONSA after intramuscular triamcinolone acetonide (TA), and to identify predictors of a corticosteroid response in these populations. A total of 526 adults age 18 years and older (315 SA) and 188 children age 6 to less than 18 years (107 SA) in the NHLBI Severe Asthma Research Program III were characterized before and 3 weeks after TA. The primary outcome for corticosteroid response was defined as greater than or equal to 10-point improvement in percent predicted FEV 1 . Adult asthma groups exhibited a small but significant mean FEV 1 % predicted improvement after TA (SA group mean difference, 3.4%; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-4.7%; P = 0.001), whereas children did not. Adult SA continued to manifest lower FEV 1 and worse asthma control as compared with NONSA after TA. In children, after TA only prebronchodilator FEV 1 distinguished SA from NONSA. A total of 21% of adults with SA and 20% of children with SA achieved greater than or equal to 10% improvement after TA. Baseline bronchodilator response and fractional exhaled nitric oxide had good sensitivity and specificity for predicting response in all groups except children with NONSA. One in five patients with SA exhibit greater than or equal to 10% improvement in FEV 1 with parenteral corticosteroid. Those likely to respond had greater bronchodilator responsiveness and fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels. In adults, differences in airflow obstruction and symptoms between SA and NONSA persist after parenteral corticosteroids, suggesting a component of corticosteroid nonresponsive pathobiology in adults with SA that may differ in children. Clinical trial registered with www

A review of omalizumab for the management of severe asthma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin CH

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Ching-Hsiung Lin,1–3 Shih-Lung Cheng4,5 1Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory Care, College of Health Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China; 3School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China; 5Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Zhongli City, Taoyuan County, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract: Despite the expansion of the understanding in asthma pathophysiology and the continual advances in disease management, a small subgroup of patients remain partially controlled or refractory to standard treatments. Upon the identification of immunoglobulin E and other inflammatory mediators, investigations and developments of targeted agents have thrived. Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the circulating immunoglobulin E, which in turn impedes and reduces subsequent releases of the proinflammatory mediators. In the past decade, omalizumab has been proven to be efficacious and well-tolerated in the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma in both trials and real-life studies, most notably in reducing exacerbation rates and corticosteroid use. While growing evidence has demonstrated that omalizumab may be potentially beneficial in treating other allergic diseases, its indication remains confined to treating severe allergic asthma and chronic idiopathic urticaria. Future efforts may be focused on determining the optimal length of omalizumab treatment, seeking biomarkers that could better predict treatment response, as well as extending its indications. Keywords: severe asthma, IgE, omalizumab, exacerbation, chronic idiopathic urticarial, inhaled corticosteroid

cFLIP expression is altered in severe corticosteroid-resistant asthma

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Dennis Lazarev

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Dysregulation of alternative splicing of mRNA precursors is known to contribute to numerous human diseases. In this study we carried out the first systematic search for asthma-associated changes in alternative splicing events, using a model of Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus-sensitized mice and an exon junction microarray to detect potential changes in alternative splicing. One of the sensitization-associated changes identified in the search was a shift in alternative splicing of the mRNA encoding cFLIP, a modulator of the caspase-mediated extrinsic apoptosis pathway. Expanding these studies to human asthma patients, we discovered a significant decrease in the expression of both cFLIP isoforms in severe corticosteroid-resistant asthmatics. Although it is unclear whether these changes were due solely to differences in alternative splicing, these findings provide evidence that dysregulation of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway is part of the underlying immunopathogenesis of severe refractory asthma.

Mild, Moderate, Severe Asthma: What Do Grades Mean?

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... that arise by making this kind of distinction. What Really Matters Is Control, Not Severity It turns out that asthma severity ... Asthma” make a strong point that the overall control of your child’s asthma is really what is most important, not what the severity level ...

Mismatch between asthma symptoms and spirometry: implications for managing asthma in children.

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Schifano, Elizabeth D; Hollenbach, Jessica P; Cloutier, Michelle M

2014-11-01

To examine the concordance between spirometry and asthma symptoms in assessing asthma severity and beginning therapy by the general pediatrician. Between 2008 and 2012, spirometry testing was satisfactorily performed in 894 children (ages 5-19 years) whose asthma severity had been determined by their pediatrician using asthma guideline-based clinical criteria. Spirometry-determined asthma severity using national asthma guidelines and clinician-determined asthma severity were compared for concordance using weighted Kappa coefficients. Thirty percent of participants had clinically determined intermittent asthma; 32%, 33%, and 5% had mild, moderate, and severe, persistent asthma, respectively. Increasing disease severity was associated with decreases in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio (P spirometry-determined severity. Concordance was 0.16 (95% CI 0.10, 0.23), and when adjusted for bias and prevalence, was 0.20 (95% CI 0.17, 0.23). When accounting for age, sex, exposure to smoke, and insurance type, only spirometry-determined asthma severity was a significant predictor of agreement (P spirometry-determined severity increased. Concordance between spirometry and asthma symptoms in determining asthma severity is low even when guideline-based clinical assessment tools are used. Because appropriate therapy reduces asthma morbidity and is guided by disease severity, results from spirometry testing could better guide pediatricians in determining appropriate therapy for their patients with asthma. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk factors for hospitalization among adults with asthma: the influence of sociodemographic factors and asthma severity

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Eisner Mark D

2000-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The morbidity and mortality from asthma have markedly increased since the late 1970s. The hospitalization rate, an important marker of asthma severity, remains substantial. Methods In adults with health care access, we prospectively studied 242 with asthma, aged 18–50 years, recruited from a random sample of allergy and pulmonary physician practices in Northern California to identify risk factors for subsequent hospitalization. Results Thirty-nine subjects (16% reported hospitalization for asthma during the 18-month follow-up period. On controlling for asthma severity in multiple logistic regression analysis, non-white race (odds ratio [OR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–8.8 and lower income (OR, 1.1 per $10,000 decrement; 95% CI, 0.9–1.3 were associated with a higher risk of asthma hospitalization. The severity-of-asthma score (OR, 3.4 per 5 points; 95%, CI 1.7–6.8 and recent asthma hospitalization (OR, 8.3; 95%, CI, 2.1–33.4 were also related to higher risk, after adjusting for demographic characteristics. Reliance on emergency department services for urgent asthma care was also associated with a greater likelihood of hospitalization (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.0–9.8. In multivariate analysis not controlling for asthma severity, low income was even more strongly related to hospitalization (OR, 1.2 per $10,000 decrement; 95% CI, 1.02–1.4. Conclusion In adult asthmatics with access to health care, non-white race, low income, and greater asthma severity were associated with a higher risk of hospitalization. Targeted interventions applied to high-risk asthma patients may reduce asthma morbidity and mortality.

Potentially pathogenic airway bacteria and neutrophilic inflammation in treatment resistant severe asthma.

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Green, Benjamin J; Wiriyachaiporn, Surasa; Grainge, Christopher; Rogers, Geraint B; Kehagia, Valia; Lau, Laurie; Carroll, Mary P; Bruce, Kenneth D; Howarth, Peter H

2014-01-01

Molecular microbiological analysis of airway samples in asthma has demonstrated an altered microbiome in comparison to healthy controls. Such changes may have relevance to treatment-resistant severe asthma, particularly those with neutrophilic airway inflammation, as bacteria might be anticipated to activate the innate immune response, a process that is poorly steroid responsive. An understanding of the relationship between airway bacterial presence and dominance in severe asthma may help direct alternative treatment approaches. We aimed to use a culture independent analysis strategy to describe the presence, dominance and abundance of bacterial taxa in induced sputum from treatment resistant severe asthmatics and correlate findings with clinical characteristics and airway inflammatory markers. Induced sputum was obtained from 28 stable treatment-resistant severe asthmatics. The samples were divided for supernatant IL-8 measurement, cytospin preparation for differential cell count and Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) profiling for bacterial community analysis. In 17/28 patients, the dominant species within the airway bacterial community was Moraxella catarrhalis or a member of the Haemophilus or Streptococcus genera. Colonisation with these species was associated with longer asthma disease duration (mean (SD) 31.8 years (16.7) vs 15.6 years (8.0), p = 0.008), worse post-bronchodilator percent predicted FEV1 (68.0% (24.0) vs 85.5% (19.7), p = 0.025) and higher sputum neutrophil differential cell counts (median (IQR) 80% (67-83) vs 43% (29-67), p = 0.001). Total abundance of these organisms significantly and positively correlated with sputum IL-8 concentration and neutrophil count. Airway colonisation with potentially pathogenic micro-organisms in asthma is associated with more severe airways obstruction and neutrophilic airway inflammation. This altered colonisation may have a role in the development of an asthma phenotype that

Long-term future risk of severe exacerbations: Distinct 5-year trajectories of problematic asthma.

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Yii, A C A; Tan, J H Y; Lapperre, T S; Chan, A K W; Low, S Y; Ong, T H; Tan, K L; Chotirmall, S H; Sterk, P J; Koh, M S

2017-09-01

Assessing future risk of exacerbations is an important component of asthma management. Existing studies have investigated short- but not long-term risk. Problematic asthma patients with unfavorable long-term disease trajectory and persistently frequent severe exacerbations need to be identified early to guide treatment. To identify distinct trajectories of severe exacerbation rates among "problematic asthma" patients and develop a risk score to predict the most unfavorable trajectory. Severe exacerbation rates over five years for 177 "problematic asthma" patients presenting to a specialist asthma clinic were tracked. Distinct trajectories of severe exacerbation rates were identified using group-based trajectory modeling. Baseline predictors of trajectory were identified and used to develop a clinical risk score for predicting the most unfavorable trajectory. Three distinct trajectories were found: 58.5% had rare intermittent severe exacerbations ("infrequent"), 32.0% had frequent severe exacerbations at baseline but improved subsequently ("nonpersistently frequent"), and 9.5% exhibited persistently frequent severe exacerbations, with the highest incidence of near-fatal asthma ("persistently frequent"). A clinical risk score composed of ≥2 severe exacerbations in the past year (+2 points), history of near-fatal asthma (+1 point), body mass index ≥25kg/m 2 (+1 point), obstructive sleep apnea (+1 point), gastroesophageal reflux (+1 point), and depression (+1 point) was predictive of the "persistently frequent" trajectory (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.84, sensitivity 72.2%, specificity 81.1% using cutoff ≥3 points). The trajectories and clinical risk score had excellent performance in an independent validation cohort. Patients with problematic asthma follow distinct illness trajectories over a period of five years. We have derived and validated a clinical risk score that accurately identifies patients who will have persistently

Asthma in Sickle Cell Disease: Implications for Treatment

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Kathryn Blake

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To review issues related to asthma in sickle cell disease and management strategies. Data Source. A systematic review of pertinent original research publications, reviews, and editorials was undertaken using MEDLlNE, the Cochrane Library databases, and CINAHL from 1947 to November 2010. Search terms were [asthma] and [sickle cell disease]. Additional publications considered relevant to the sickle cell disease population of patients were identified; search terms included [sickle cell disease] combined with [acetaminophen], [pain medications], [vitamin D], [beta agonists], [exhaled nitric oxide], and [corticosteroids]. Results. The reported prevalence of asthma in children with sickle cell disease varies from 2% to approximately 50%. Having asthma increases the risk for developing acute chest syndrome , death, or painful episodes compared to having sickle cell disease without asthma. Asthma and sickle cell may be linked by impaired nitric oxide regulation, excessive production of leukotrienes, insufficient levels of Vitamin D, and exposure to acetaminophen in early life. Treatment of sickle cell patients includes using commonly prescribed asthma medications; specific considerations are suggested to ensure safety in the sickle cell population. Conclusion. Prospective controlled trials of drug treatment for asthma in patients who have both sickle cell disease and asthma are urgently needed.

Association of pediatric asthma severity with exposure to common household dust allergens

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Gent, Janneane F.; Belanger, Kathleen; Triche, Elizabeth W.; Bracken, Michael B.; Beckett, William S.; Leaderer, Brian P.

2009-01-01

Background: Reducing exposure to household dust inhalant allergens has been proposed as one strategy to reduce asthma. Objective: To examine the dose-response relationships and health impact of five common household dust allergens on disease severity, quantified using both symptom frequency and medication use, in atopic and non-atopic asthmatic children. Methods: Asthmatic children (N=300) aged 4-12 years were followed for 1 year. Household dust samples from two indoor locations were analyzed for allergens including dust mite (Der p 1, Der f 1), cat (Fel d 1), dog (Can f 1), cockroach (Bla g 1). Daily symptoms and medication use were collected in monthly telephone interviews. Annual disease severity was examined in models including allergens, specific IgE sensitivity and adjusted for age, gender, atopy, ethnicity, and mother's education. Results: Der p 1 house dust mite allergen concentration of 2.0 μg/g or more from the main room and the child's bed was related to increased asthma severity independent of allergic status (respectively, OR 2.93, 95% CI 1.37, 6.30 for 2.0-10.0 μg/g and OR 2.55 95% CI 1.13, 5.73 for ≥10.0 μg/g). Higher pet allergen levels were associated with greater asthma severity, but only for those sensitized (cat OR 2.41 95% CI 1.19, 4.89; dog OR 2.06 95% CI 1.01, 4.22). Conclusion: Higher levels of Der p 1 and pet allergens were associated with asthma severity, but Der p 1 remained an independent risk factor after accounting for pet allergens and regardless of Der p 1 specific IgE status.

Association of pediatric asthma severity with exposure to common household dust allergens

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Gent, Janneane F., E-mail: janneane.gent@yale.edu [Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric and Environmental Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 6th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510 (United States); Belanger, Kathleen [Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric and Environmental Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 6th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510 (United States); Triche, Elizabeth W. [Brown University, Department of Community Health/Epidemiology, Providence, RI (United States); Bracken, Michael B. [Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric and Environmental Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 6th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510 (United States); Beckett, William S. [Mount Auburn Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Cambridge, MA (United States); Leaderer, Brian P. [Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric and Environmental Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 6th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510 (United States)

2009-08-15

Background: Reducing exposure to household dust inhalant allergens has been proposed as one strategy to reduce asthma. Objective: To examine the dose-response relationships and health impact of five common household dust allergens on disease severity, quantified using both symptom frequency and medication use, in atopic and non-atopic asthmatic children. Methods: Asthmatic children (N=300) aged 4-12 years were followed for 1 year. Household dust samples from two indoor locations were analyzed for allergens including dust mite (Der p 1, Der f 1), cat (Fel d 1), dog (Can f 1), cockroach (Bla g 1). Daily symptoms and medication use were collected in monthly telephone interviews. Annual disease severity was examined in models including allergens, specific IgE sensitivity and adjusted for age, gender, atopy, ethnicity, and mother's education. Results: Der p 1 house dust mite allergen concentration of 2.0 {mu}g/g or more from the main room and the child's bed was related to increased asthma severity independent of allergic status (respectively, OR 2.93, 95% CI 1.37, 6.30 for 2.0-10.0 {mu}g/g and OR 2.55 95% CI 1.13, 5.73 for {>=}10.0 {mu}g/g). Higher pet allergen levels were associated with greater asthma severity, but only for those sensitized (cat OR 2.41 95% CI 1.19, 4.89; dog OR 2.06 95% CI 1.01, 4.22). Conclusion: Higher levels of Der p 1 and pet allergens were associated with asthma severity, but Der p 1 remained an independent risk factor after accounting for pet allergens and regardless of Der p 1 specific IgE status.

The level of diagnostic assessment in severe asthma

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von Bulow, Anna; Backer, Vibeke; Bodtger, Uffe

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Systematic assessment of patients with severe asthma is pivotal to decide which patients are eligible to new biological therapies. However, the level of diagnostic work-up in patients with severe asthma is only poorly investigated. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: To describe the diagnostic work-...

Pathway discovery using transcriptomic profiles in adult-onset severe asthma

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Hekking, Pieter-Paul; Loza, Matt J; Pavlidis, Stelios

2017-01-01

in nasal brushings (5 signatures), sputum (3 signatures), and endobronchial brushings (6 signatures). Signatures associated with eosinophilic airway inflammation, mast cells, and group 3 innate lymphoid cells were more enriched in adult-onset severe asthma, whereas signatures associated with induced lung...... injury were less enriched in adult-onset severe asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Adult-onset severe asthma is characterized by inflammatory pathways involving eosinophils, mast cells, and group 3 innate lymphoid cells. These pathways could represent useful targets for the treatment of adult-onset severe asthma....

Effectiveness and response predictors of omalizumab in a severe allergic asthma population with a high prevalence of comorbidities: the Australian Xolair Registry.

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Gibson, P G; Reddel, H; McDonald, V M; Marks, G; Jenkins, C; Gillman, A; Upham, J; Sutherland, M; Rimmer, J; Thien, F; Katsoulotos, G P; Cook, M; Yang, I; Katelaris, C; Bowler, S; Langton, D; Robinson, P; Wright, C; Yozghatlian, V; Burgess, S; Sivakumaran, P; Jaffe, A; Bowden, J; Wark, P A B; Yan, K Y; Kritikos, V; Peters, M; Hew, M; Aminazad, A; Bint, M; Guo, M

2016-09-01

Severe asthma is a high impact disease. Omalizumab targets the allergic inflammatory pathway; however, effectiveness data in a population with significant comorbidities are limited. To describe severe allergic asthma, omalizumab treatment outcomes and predictors of response among the Australian Xolair Registry participants. A web-based post-marketing surveillance registry was established to characterise the use, effectiveness and adverse effects of omalizumab (Xolair) for severe allergic asthma. Participants (n = 192) (mean age 51 years, 118 female) with severe allergic asthma from 21 clinics in Australia were assessed, and 180 received omalizumab therapy. They had poor asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire, ACQ-5, mean score 3.56) and significant quality of life impairment (Asthma-related Quality of Life Questionnaire score 3.57), and 52% were using daily oral corticosteroid (OCS). Overall, 95% had one or more comorbidities (rhinitis 48%, obesity 45%, cardiovascular disease 23%). The omalizumab responder rate, assessed by an improvement of at least 0.5 in ACQ-5, was high at 83%. OCS use was significantly reduced. The response in participants with comorbid obesity and cardiovascular disease was similar to those without these conditions. Baseline ACQ-5 ≥ 2.0 (P = 0.002) and older age (P = 0.05) predicted the magnitude of change in ACQ-5 in response to omalizumab. Drug-related adverse events included anaphylactoid reactions (n = 4), headache (n = 2) and chest pains (n = 1). Australian patients with severe allergic asthma report a high disease burden and have extensive comorbidity. Symptomatic response to omalizumab was high despite significant comorbid disease. Omalizumab is an effective targeted therapy for severe allergic asthma with comorbidity in a real-life setting. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a state funded programme for control of severe asthma

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Loureiro Sebastião

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases and a major economical burden to families and health systems. Whereas efficacy of current therapeutical options has been clearly established, cost-effectiveness analysis of public health interventions for asthma control are scarce. Methods 81 patients with severe asthma (12–75 years joining a programme in a reference clinic providing free asthma medication were asked retrospectively about costs and events in the previous 12 months. During 12 months after joining the programme, information on direct and indirect costs, asthma control by lung function, symptoms and quality of life were collected. The information obtained was used to estimate cost-effectiveness of the intervention as compared to usual public health asthma management. Sensitivity analysis was conducted. Results 64 patients concluded the study. During the 12-months follow-up within the programme, patients had 5 fewer days of hospitalization and 68 fewer visits to emergency/non scheduled medical visits per year, on average. Asthma control scores improved by 50% and quality of life by 74%. The annual saving in public resources was US$387 per patient. Family annual income increased US$512, and family costs were reduced by US$733. Conclusion A programme for control of severe asthma in a developing country can reduce morbidity, improve quality of life and save resources from the health system and patients families.

Severe chronic allergic (and related) diseases

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Bousquet, J; Anto, J M; Demoly, P

2012-01-01

-up. Control is the degree to which therapy goals are currently met. These concepts have evolved over time for asthma in guidelines, task forces or consensus meetings. The aim of this paper is to generalize the approach of the uniform definition of severe asthma presented to WHO for chronic allergic...... and associated diseases (rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic urticaria and atopic dermatitis) in order to have a uniform definition of severity, control and risk, usable in most situations. It is based on the appropriate diagnosis, availability and accessibility of treatments, treatment responsiveness...... and associated factors such as comorbidities and risk factors. This uniform definition will allow a better definition of the phenotypes of severe allergic (and related) diseases for clinical practice, research (including epidemiology), public health purposes, education and the discovery of novel therapies....

Herbal Medicine Cordyceps sinensis Improves Health-Related Quality of Life in Moderate-to-Severe Asthma

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Ningqun Wang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Moderate-to-severe asthma has a substantial impact on the health-related quality of life (HR-QOL of the patients. Cordyceps sinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine that is evaluated clinically for the treatment of many diseases, such as chronic allograft nephropathy, diabetic kidney disease, and lung fibrosis. In order to investigate the effects of Cordyceps sinensis on patients with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma, 120 subjects were randomized to receive Corbin capsule containing Cordyceps sinensis for 3 months (treatment group, n=60, whereas the control group (n=60 did not receive treatment with Corbin capsule. Inhaled corticosteroid and as-needed β-agonists were used in the treatment of both groups. HR-QOL was measured with the Juniper’s Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ. The incidence of asthma exacerbation, pulmonary function testing, and serum measurements of inflammatory mediators were also evaluated. The results showed that the treatment group indicated a significant increase in AQLQ scores and lung function compared with the control group. The expression levels of the inflammation markers IgE, ICAM-1, IL-4, and MMP-9 in the serum were decreased and IgG increased in the treatment group compared with the control group. Therefore, the conclusion was reached that a formulation of Cordyceps sinensis improved the HR-QOL, asthma symptoms, lung function, and inflammatory profile of the patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-IPC-16008730.

Herbal Medicine Cordyceps sinensis Improves Health-Related Quality of Life in Moderate-to-Severe Asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ningqun; Li, Jie; Huang, Xiaobo; Chen, Wenqiang; Chen, Yujing

2016-01-01

Moderate-to-severe asthma has a substantial impact on the health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) of the patients. Cordyceps sinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine that is evaluated clinically for the treatment of many diseases, such as chronic allograft nephropathy, diabetic kidney disease, and lung fibrosis. In order to investigate the effects of Cordyceps sinensis on patients with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma, 120 subjects were randomized to receive Corbin capsule containing Cordyceps sinensis for 3 months (treatment group, n = 60), whereas the control group ( n = 60) did not receive treatment with Corbin capsule. Inhaled corticosteroid and as-needed β -agonists were used in the treatment of both groups. HR-QOL was measured with the Juniper's Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). The incidence of asthma exacerbation, pulmonary function testing, and serum measurements of inflammatory mediators were also evaluated. The results showed that the treatment group indicated a significant increase in AQLQ scores and lung function compared with the control group. The expression levels of the inflammation markers IgE, ICAM-1, IL-4, and MMP-9 in the serum were decreased and IgG increased in the treatment group compared with the control group. Therefore, the conclusion was reached that a formulation of Cordyceps sinensis improved the HR-QOL, asthma symptoms, lung function, and inflammatory profile of the patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-IPC-16008730.

Relationships between severity of chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis, asthma, and atopy

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Pearlman, Aaron N.; Chandra, Rakesh K.; Chang, Dennis; Conley, David B.; Peters, Anju Tripathi; Grammer, Leslie C.; Schleimer, Robert T.; Kern, Robert C.

2013-01-01

Background The effect of comorbid conditions such as asthma and atopy on the severity of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and the presence of nasal polyps (NPs) remains an area of investigation. We sought to elucidate the relationship among these entities. Methods The study population included 106 consecutive patients who were referred to a multidisciplinary, university-based allergy and sinus clinic that underwent computed tomography (CT) scan, skin-prick testing, and had CRS. Data were analyzed to determine Lund-MacKay score (LMS), presence of NPs, asthma status, and sensitivity to seven classes of aeroallergens. Results Skin tests were positive in 52 cases and negative in 54 cases. Although, there was no statistical relationship between LMS and atopic status in the entire group, among the asthmatic subgroup, mean LMS was greater in nona topic asthmatic patients than in atopic asthmatic patients. Asthmatic patients had a higher LMS than nonasthmatic patients (p 10 (p = 0.0236) and had more severe maxillary sinus involvement (p = 0.0391). Conclusion These data indicate a strong relationship between CRS severity, as measured by LMS, and chronic airway inflammatory diseases, asthma, and NPs. The association between LMS and atopic status appears weak. The present study suggests that CRS is an inflammatory disease that occurs independently of systemic IgE-mediated pathways. PMID:19401038

[Epigenetics in allergic diseases and asthma].

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Castro-Rodríguez, José A; Krause, Bernardo J; Uauy, Ricardo; Casanello, Paola

2016-01-01

Allergic diseases and asthma are the result of complex interactions between genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic disease among children. In this article we review some environmental factors like: allergen exposition, tobacco, bacteria, microbial components, diet, obesity and stress, which influences during intrauterine and infancy life in the epigenetic regulation of asthma and allergic diseases. The review has been done in three models: in-vitro, animal and human. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effect of asthma severity on symptom perception in childhood asthma

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A.L.B. Cabral

2002-03-01

Full Text Available Individual ability to perceive airway obstruction varies substantially. The factors influencing the perception of asthma are probably numerous and not well established in children. The present study was designed to examine the influence of asthma severity, use of preventive medication, age and gender on the association between respiratory symptoms (RS and peak expiratory flow (PEF rates in asthmatic children. We followed 92 asthmatic children, aged 6 to 16 years, for five months. Symptom scores were recorded daily and PEF was measured twice a day. The correlations among variables at the within-person level over time were analyzed for each child and for the pooled data by multivariate analysis. After pooling the data, there was a significant (P<0.05 correlation between each symptom and PEF; 60% of the children were accurate perceivers (defined by a statistically significant correlation between symptoms and PEF across time for diurnal symptoms and 37% for nocturnal symptoms. The accuracy of perception was independent of asthma severity, age, gender or the use of preventive medication. Symptom perception is inaccurate in a substantial number of asthmatic children, independently of clinical severity, age, gender or use of preventive medication. It is not clear why some asthmatic patients are capable of accurately perceiving the severity of airway obstruction while others are not.

Characteristics and severity of asthma in children with and without atopic conditions : a cross-sectional study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Arabkhazaeli, Ali; Vijverberg, Susanne J H; van Erp, Francine C; Raaijmakers, Jan A M; van der Ent, Cornelis K.; Maitland van der Zee, Anke H

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Childhood allergic diseases have a major impact on a child's quality of life, as well as that of their parents. We studied the coexistence of reported allergies in children who use asthma medication. Additionally, we tested the hypothesis that asthma severity is greater among children

Characteristics and severity of asthma in children with and without atopic conditions: A cross-sectional study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Arabkhazaeli, Ali; Vijverberg, Susanne J. H.; van Erp, Francine C.; Raaijmakers, Jan A. M.; van der Ent, Cornelis K.; Maitland van der Zee, Anke H.

2015-01-01

Background: Childhood allergic diseases have a major impact on a child's quality of life, as well as that of their parents. We studied the coexistence of reported allergies in children who use asthma medication. Additionally, we tested the hypothesis that asthma severity is greater among children

Omalizumab therapy in a 13-year-old boy with severe persistent asthma and concomitant eosinophilic esophagitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Arasi, Stefania; Costa, Stefano; Magazzù, Giuseppe; Ieni, Antonio; Crisafulli, Giuseppe; Caminiti, Lucia; Chiera, Fernanda; Vaccaro, Mario; Del Giudice, Michele Miraglia; Pajno, Giovanni Battista

2016-03-22

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has been defined as "asthma of the esophagus" for the large number of similarities between the two diseases. Omalizumab is an anti-Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody currently approved only in allergic IgE-mediated severe persistent uncontrolled asthma and in chronic spontaneous urticaria unresponsive to antihistamines, but it has been tried in other diseases, too. We present herein the case of a 13-year-old boy, affected from preschool age by severe chronic allergic asthma poorly controlled despite a generous long-term therapy, and, since he was 8 years old, by eosinophilic esophagitis, responsive to courses of strict elimination diet and semi-elemental diet, even if very burdensome for his quality of life. At the age of 11.5 years, for inadequate asthma control, he started to receive therapy with omalizumab. After the first month and for the entire duration (18 months) of omalizumab treatment, asthma was well controlled, long-term conventional therapy was gradually withdrawn and lung- function improved. Concerning EoE, after an initial clinical but not histological remission during the first few months of treatment with omalizumab, the patient experienced an exacerbation of gastrointestinal symptoms. Therefore, he started treatment with topical steroids which was effective to improve gastrointestinal symptoms. However, EoE is still steroid-dependent. Currently, he continues both treatments: omalizumab for asthma and topical steroid for EoE. This case report confirms that omalizumab is an effective treatment in patients with severe persistent, uncontrolled asthma. On the other hand, in our patient it did not produce persistent improvement neither on symptoms nor on biopsy findings of EoE. The outcome of this case might indicate different pathogenic mechanism(s) of the two diseases.

Long-term prognosis of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap in the Copenhagen City Heart study

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Lange, Peter; Çolak, Yunus; Ingebrigtsen, Truls Sylvan

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Long-term prognosis of patients with characteristics of both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, named asthma-COPD overlap, is poorly described. We investigated the long-term prognosis of individuals with different types of chronic airway disease, with a special...... were 39·48 (95% CI 25·93-60·11) in asthma-COPD overlap with early-onset asthma, 83·47 (61·67-112·98) in asthma-COPD overlap with late-onset asthma, 23·80 (17·43-33·50) in COPD, and 14·74 (10·06-21·59) in asthma compared with never-smokers without lung disease (all p... focus on individuals with asthma-COPD overlap. METHODS: We assigned participants from the Copenhagen City Heart Study into six subgroups: healthy never-smokers, ever-smokers without asthma and COPD, those with asthma with low cumulated smoking exposure and no airflow limitation, those with COPD, those...

Rhinitis: a complication to asthma

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Hansen, J W; Thomsen, S F; Nolte, H

2010-01-01

Asthma and rhinitis often co-occur, and this potentially increases the disease severity and impacts negatively on the quality of life. We studied disease severity, airway responsiveness, atopy, quality of life and treatment in subjects with both asthma and rhinitis compared to patients with asthma...

Features of Atopic Reactivity in Schoolchildren with Severe Bronchial Asthma

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U.I. Marusyk

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The study involved 30 students with severe bronchial asthma and 30 children with moderate to severe course. Patients with severe bronchial asthma revealed a clear tendency to increase the relative content of interleukin 4 in peripheral blood, which indirectly indicates the severity of inflammation in the bronchi. Almost every second child suffering from severe bronchial asthma reported an increase in the concentration of immunoglobulin E (more than 545.3 IU/ml, and the odds ratio was 1.9 (95% CI 1.1–3.4. In the group of patients with severe bronchial asthma, cases of increased skin sensitivity to household allergens were significantly more frequent compared to the second group. Thus, the size of hyperemia over 15.0 mm was recorded in 81.5 % of children of the first group and only in 51.9 % of persons (Pϕ < 0.05 in the second one. Clinical and epidemiological risk and diagnostic value of individual indicators of atopic reactivity were determined to verify the phenotype of severe bronchial asthma.

SEVERE CHRONIC ALLERGIC (AND RELATED DISEASES: A UNIFORM APPROACH — A MEDALL-GA2LEN-ARIA POSITION PAPER IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WHO COLLABORATING CENTER FOR ASTHMA AND RHINITIS (ENGLISH & RUSSIAN VARIANTS

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J. Bousquet

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Concepts of disease severity, activity, control and responsiveness to treatment are linked but different. Severity refers to the loss of function of the organs induced by the disease process or to the occurrence of severe acute exacerbations. Severity may vary over time and needs regular follow up. Control is the degree to which therapy goals are currently met. These concepts have evolved over time for asthma in guidelines, task forces or consensus meetings. The aim of this paper is to generalize the approach of the uniform definition of severe asthma presented to WHO for chronic allergic and associated diseases (rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic urticaria, atopic dermatitis in order to have a uniform definition of severity, control and risk, usable in most situations. It is based on the appropriate diagnosis, availability and accessibility of treatments, treatment responsiveness and associated factors such as co-morbidities and risk factors. This uniform definition will allow a better definition of the phenotypes of severe allergic (and related diseases for clinical practice, research (including epidemiology, public health purposes, education and the discovery of novel therapies.Key words: IgE, allergy, severity, control, risk, asthma, rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, urticaria, atopic dermatitis.

Socioeconomic impact of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma-COPD overlap syndrome.

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Kim, Jinhee; Kim, Young Sam; Kim, Kyungjoo; Oh, Yeon-Mok; Yoo, Kwang Ha; Rhee, Chin Kook; Lee, Jin Hwa

2017-06-01

Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS) is defined as having both features of asthma and COPD, which are airway hyper-responsiveness and incompletely reversible airway obstruction. However, socioeconomic impact of ACOS have not been well appreciated. Adults with available wheezing history and acceptable spirometry were selected from the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV) in 2007-2009. Their data were merged with the Korean National Health Insurance claim data. 'Asthma group' was defined as having self-reported wheezing history and FEV 1 /FVC ≥0.7, 'COPD group' was defined as having FEV 1 /FVC COPD, 8.4%; asthma, 5.8% and NAD, 83.6%. Total length of healthcare utilization and medical costs of ACOS group was the top among four groups (PCOPD group (P=0.025). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that ACOS group (β=12.63, P<0.001) and asthma group (β=6.14, P<0.001) were significantly associated with longer duration of healthcare utilization and ACOS group (β=350,475.88, P=0.008) and asthma group (β=386,876.81, P<0.001) were associated with higher medical costs. This study demonstrated that ACOS independently influences healthcare utilization after adjusting several factors. In order to utilize limited medical resources efficiently, it may be necessary to find and manage ACOS patients.

Stepwise management of asthma.

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Khalid, Ayesha N

2015-09-01

Stepwise management of asthma remains an area of evolving research. Asthma is one of the most expensive chronic diseases in the United States; stepwise management is an important area of focus, with several recent guidelines recommending management. This is a review of published English language literature, focusing on management guidelines for asthma in adult and pediatric patients. Asthma is a chronic disease whose assessment of severity allows for therapeutic goals to match the impairment noted. Good evidence exists to aid risk reduction, leading to decreased emergency room visits, preventing loss of lung function in adults and lung growth in children, and optimizing pharmacotherapy with reduced side effects profile. Recent asthma management guidelines incorporate 4 components of asthma care including: monitoring of severity, patient education, controlling external triggers, and medications, including recent attention to medication adherence. Asthma is an expensive chronic disease with preventive measures leading to reduced healthcare costs. Future targeted cytokine therapy to decrease serum and blood eosinophils may become an integral part of asthma management. © 2015 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Severe asthma: anti-IgE or anti-IL-5?

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Evgenia Papathanassiou

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Severe asthma is a discrete clinical entity characterised by recurrent exacerbations, reduced quality of life and poor asthma control as ordinary treatment regimens remain inadequate. Difficulty in managing severe asthma derives partly from the multiple existing phenotypes and our inability to recognise them. Though the exact pathogenetic pathway of severe allergic asthma remains unclear, it is known that numerous inflammatory cells and cytokines are involved, and eosinophils represent a key inflammatory cell mediator. Anti-IgE (omalizumab and anti-IL-5 (mepolizumab antibodies are biological agents that interfere in different steps of the Th2 inflammatory cascade and are licensed in severe asthma. Both exhibit a favourable clinical outcome as they reduce exacerbation rate and improve asthma control and quality of life, while mepolizumab also induces an oral steroid sparing effect. Nevertheless, it is still questionable which agent is more suitable in the management of severe allergic asthma since no comparable studies have been conducted. Omalizumab's established effectiveness in clinical practice over a long period is complemented by a beneficial effect on airway remodelling process mediated mainly through its impact on eosinophils and other parameters strongly related to eosinophilic inflammation. However, it is possible that mepolizumab through nearly depleting eosinophils could have a similar effect on airway remodelling. Moreover, to date, markers indicative of the patient population responding to each treatment are unavailable although baseline eosinophils and exacerbation rate in the previous year demonstrate a predictive value regarding anti-IL-5 therapy effectiveness. On the other hand, a better therapeutic response for omalizumab has been observed when low forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and increased IgE concentrations are present. Consequently, conclusions are not yet safe to be drawn based on

Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 2 in patient with severe allergic asthma treated with omalizumab.

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Rams, Anna; Żółciński, Marek; Zastrzeżyńska, Weronika; Polański, Stanisław; Serafin, Agnieszka; Wilańska, Joanna; Musiał, Jacek; Bazan-Socha, Stanisława

2018-01-04

Asthma therapy with monoclonal antibodies is a promising and effective approach for those with a severe and refractory type of disease. Although such a targeted therapy is considered to be safe, unusual complications may occur. We present a case of a 45 year-old female patient with severe allergic asthma and chronic spontaneous urticaria, who developed autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 2 (APS-2) after 26 months of omalizumab administration. The patient was diagnosed with primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis accompanied by autoimmune atrophic gastritis. According to our knowledge this is the first description of APS-2 that developed in conjunction with omalizumab treatment, although we have no evidence that the observed phenomenon indicated a cause-effect relationship to omalizumab.

The frequency of asthma exacerbations and healthcare utilization in patients with asthma from the UK and USA.

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Suruki, Robert Y; Daugherty, Jonas B; Boudiaf, Nada; Albers, Frank C

2017-04-27

Asthma exacerbations are frequent in patients with severe disease. This report describes results from two retrospective cohort studies describing exacerbation frequency and risk, emergency department (ED)/hospital re-admissions, and asthma-related costs by asthma severity in the US and UK. Patients with asthma in the US-based Clinformatics™ DataMart Multiplan IMPACT (2010-2011; WEUSKOP7048) and the UK-based Clinical Practice Research Datalink (2009-2011; WEUSKOP7092) databases were categorized by disease severity (Global Initiative for Asthma [GINA]; Step and exacerbation history) during the 12 months pre-asthma medical code (index date). Outcomes included: frequency of exacerbations (asthma-related ED visit, hospitalization, or oral corticosteroid use with an asthma medical code recorded within ±2 weeks) 12 months post-index, asthma-related ED visits/hospitalization, and asthma-related costs 30 days post-index. Risk of a subsequent exacerbation was determined by proportional hazard model. Of the 222,817 and 211,807 patients with asthma included from the US and UK databases, respectively, 12.5 and 8.4% experienced ≥1 exacerbation during the follow-up period. Exacerbation frequency increased with disease severity. Among the 5,167 and 2,904 patients with an asthma-related ED visit/hospitalization in the US and UK databases, respectively, 9.2 and 4.7% had asthma-related re-admissions within 30 days. Asthma-related re-admission rates and costs increased with disease severity, approximately doubling between GINA Step 1 and 5 and in patients with ≥2 versus <2 exacerbations in the previous year. Risk of a subsequent exacerbation increased 32-35% for an exacerbation requiring ED visit/hospitalization versus oral corticosteroids. Increased disease severity was associated with higher exacerbation frequency, ED/hospitalization re-admission, costs and risk of subsequent exacerbation, indicating that these patients require high-intensity post-exacerbation management.

Asthma: epidemiology of disease control in Latin America - short review.

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Solé, Dirceu; Aranda, Carolina Sanchez; Wandalsen, Gustavo Falbo

2017-01-01

Asthma is reported as one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood, impairing the quality of life of patients and their families and incurring high costs to the healthcare system and society. Despite the development of new drugs and the availability of international treatment guidelines, asthma is still poorly controlled, especially in Latin America. Original and review articles on asthma control or epidemiology with high levels of evidence have been selected for analysis among those published in PubMed referenced journals during the last 20 years, using the following keywords: "asthma control" combined with "Latin America", " epidemiology", "prevalence", "burden", "mortality", "treatment and unmet needs", "children", "adolescents", and "infants". There was a high prevalence and severity of asthma during the period analyzed, especially in children and adolescents. Wheezing in infants was a significant reason for seeking medical care in Latin American health centers. Moreover, the frequent use of quick-relief bronchodilators and oral corticosteroids by these patients indicates the lack of a policy for providing better care for asthmatic patients, as well as poor asthma control. Among adults, studies document poor treatment and control of the disease, as revealed by low adherence to routine anti-inflammatory medications and high rates of emergency care visits and hospitalization. In conclusion, although rare, studies on asthma control in Latin America repeatedly show that patients are inadequately controlled and frequently overestimate their degree of asthma control according to the criteria used by international asthma treatment guidelines. Additional education for doctors and patients is essential for adequate control of this illness, and therefore also for reduction of the individual and social burden of asthma.

RItA: The Italian severe/uncontrolled asthma registry.

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Maio, S; Baldacci, S; Bresciani, M; Simoni, M; Latorre, M; Murgia, N; Spinozzi, F; Braschi, M; Antonicelli, L; Brunetto, B; Iacovacci, P; Roazzi, P; Pini, C; Pata, M; La Grasta, L; Paggiaro, P; Viegi, G

2018-03-01

The Italian severe/uncontrolled asthma (SUA) web-based registry encompasses demographic, clinical, functional, and inflammatory data; it aims to raise SUA awareness, identifying specific phenotypes and promoting optimal care. Four hundred and ninety three adult patients from 27 Italian centers (recruited in 2011-2014) were analyzed. Mean age was 53.8 years. SUA patients were more frequently female (60.6%), with allergic asthma (83.1%). About 30% showed late onset of asthma diagnosis/symptoms (>40 years); the mean age for asthma symptoms onset was 30.2 years and for asthma diagnosis 34.4 years. 97.1% used ICS (dose 2000 BDP), 93.6% LABA in association with ICS, 53.3% LTRAs, 64.1% anti-IgE, 10.7% theophylline, and 16.0% oral corticosteroids. Mean FEV 1 % pred of 75.1%, median values of 300/mm 3 of blood eosinophil count, 323 kU/L of serum total IgE, and 24 ppb of FENO were shown. Most common comorbidities were allergic rhinitis (62.4%), gastroesophageal reflux (42.1%), sinusitis (37.9%), nasal polyposis (30.2%), and allergic conjunctivitis (30.2%). 55.7% of SUA patients had exacerbations in the last 12 months, 9.7% emergency department visits, and 7.3% hospitalizations. Factors associated with exacerbation risk were obesity (OR, 95% CI 2.46, 1.11-5.41), psychic disorders (2.87, 0.89-9.30-borderline), nasal polyps (1.86, 0.88-3.89-borderline), partial/poor asthma treatment adherence (2.54, 0.97-6.67-borderline), and anti-IgE use in a protective way (0.26, 0.12-0.53). Comparisons to severe asthma multicenter studies and available registries showed data consistency across European and American populations. An international effort in the implementation of SUA patients' registries could help to better understand the clinical features and to manage severe asthma, representing a non-negligible socioeconomic burden for health services. © 2017 EAACI and John Wiley and Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Point-of-care blood eosinophil count in a severe asthma clinic setting.

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Heffler, Enrico; Terranova, Giovanni; Chessari, Carlo; Frazzetto, Valentina; Crimi, Claudia; Fichera, Silvia; Picardi, Giuseppe; Nicolosi, Giuliana; Porto, Morena; Intravaia, Rossella; Crimi, Nunzio

2017-07-01

One of the main severe asthma phenotypes is severe eosinophilic or eosinophilic refractory asthma for which novel biologic agents are emerging as therapeutic options. In this context, blood eosinophil counts are one of the most reliable biomarkers. To evaluate the performance of a point-of-care peripheral blood counter in a patients with severe asthma. The blood eosinophil counts of 76 patients with severe asthma were evaluated by point-of-care and standard analyzers. A significant correlation between blood eosinophils assessed by the 2 devices was found (R 2  = 0.854, P asthma and the ELEN index, a composite score useful to predict sputum eosinophilia. The results of our study contribute to the validation of a point-of-care device to assess blood eosinophils and open the possibility of using this device for the management of severe asthma management. Copyright © 2017 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age-Specific Characteristics of Inpatients with Severe Asthma Exacerbation

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Kiyoshi Sekiya

2013-01-01

Conclusions: The characteristics of inpatients with severe asthma vary depending on age. We need to establish countermeasures for asthma exacerbation according to the characteristics of patients depending on age.

Clinical and inflammatory characteristics of the European U-BIOPRED adult severe asthma cohort

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shaw, Dominick E.; Sousa, Ana R.; Fowler, Stephen J.; Fleming, Louise J.; Roberts, Graham; Corfield, Julie; Pandis, Ioannis; Bansal, Aruna T.; Bel, Elisabeth H.; Auffray, Charles; Compton, Chris H.; Bisgaard, Hans; Bucchioni, Enrica; Caruso, Massimo; Chanez, Pascal; Dahlén, Barbro; Dahlen, Sven-Erik; Dyson, Kerry; Frey, Urs; Geiser, Thomas; Gerhardsson de Verdier, Maria; Gibeon, David; Guo, Yi-Ke; Hashimoto, Simone; Hedlin, Gunilla; Jeyasingham, Elizabeth; Hekking, Pieter-Paul W.; Higenbottam, Tim; Horváth, Ildikó; Knox, Alan J.; Krug, Norbert; Erpenbeck, Veit J.; Larsson, Lars X.; Lazarinis, Nikos; Matthews, John G.; Middelveld, Roelinde; Montuschi, Paolo; Musial, Jacek; Myles, David; Pahus, Laurie; Sandström, Thomas; Seibold, Wolfgang; Singer, Florian; Strandberg, Karin; Sterk, Peter J.; van Aalderen, Wim; Lutter, Rene; van Drunen, Kees; Brinkman, Paul; Zwinderman, Koos

2015-01-01

U-BIOPRED is a European Union consortium of 20 academic institutions, 11 pharmaceutical companies and six patient organisations with the objective of improving the understanding of asthma disease mechanisms using a systems biology approach.This cross-sectional assessment of adults with severe

Prenatal stress challenge impairs fetal lung development and asthma severity sex-specifically in mice.

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Zazara, Dimitra E; Perani, Clara V; Solano, María E; Arck, Petra C

2018-02-01

Allergic asthma is an increasing health problem worldwide. Interestingly, prenatal challenges such as stress have been associated with an increased risk for asthma during childhood. The underlying pathogenesis of how prenatal stress increases the risk for asthma still remains unclear. Potential targets could be that the fetal immune ontogeny or fetal lung development are compromised by prenatal challenges. Here, we aimed to identify whether prenatal stress challenge affects fetal lung development in mice. C57BL/6 pregnant mice were challenged with sound stress and fetal lung development was assessed histologically. Whilst prenatal stress challenge did not profoundly affect lung development in male fetuses, it resulted in less extensive terminal sacs, surrounded by thicker mesenchymal tissue in female fetuses. Thus, prenatal stress disrupted fetal lung development sex-specifically. Interestingly, upon prenatal stress challenge, the airway hyperresponsiveness and eosinophilic inflammation- two hallmarks of asthma - were significantly increased in adult female offspring, whilst regulatory CD4+ T cells were reduced. These findings strongly underpin the sex-specific association between s challenged fetal development and a sex-specific altered severity of asthma in adult offspring. Our model now allows to identify maternal markers through which the risk for asthma and possible other diseases is vertically transferred before birth in response to challenges. Such identification then opens avenues for primary disease prevention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms and reflux-associated respiratory symptoms in asthma

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de Silva H Janaka

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD symptoms are common in asthma and have been extensively studied, but less so in the Asian continent. Reflux-associated respiratory symptoms (RARS have, in contrast, been little-studied globally. We report the prevalence of GORD symptoms and RARS in adult asthmatics, and their association with asthma severity and medication use. Methods A cross-sectional analytical study. A validated interviewer-administered GORD scale was used to assess frequency and severity of seven GORD symptoms. Subjects were consecutive asthmatics attending medical clinics. Controls were matched subjects without respiratory symptoms. Results The mean (SD composite GORD symptom score of asthmatics was significantly higher than controls (21.8 (17.2 versus 12.0 (7.6; P P Conclusions GORD symptoms and RARS were more prevalent in a cohort of Sri Lankan adult asthmatics compared to non-asthmatics. Increased prevalence of RARS is associated with both typical and atypical symptoms of GORD. Asthma disease and its severity, but not asthma medication, appear to influence presence of GORD symptoms.

Patient profiles and clinical utility of mepolizumab in severe eosinophilic asthma

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Haldar P

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Pranabashis Haldar Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Glenfield Hospital, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK Abstract: Mepolizumab (Nucala® is an effective and specific anti-eosinophil molecular therapy that has recently been approved as add-on therapy for the management of severe eosinophilic asthma by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA, European Medicines Agency (EMA; European Union and more recently National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE; UK. It is one of several molecular therapies in development for this indication and is illustrative of the strategic trajectory for pharmaceutical drug development taken over the past decade in several disease areas. Molecular therapies offer the prospect of improved specificity and effectiveness of biological effect. However, this necessitates a clear understanding of the underlying mechanistic pathways underpinning pathological processes, to inform drug development that yields novel more efficacious treatment options with a better clinical profile than existing agents. For the first time, utilization of molecular therapies in clinical trials is providing a novel in vivo model to characterize the association between specific pathways and clinical disease expression. It is increasingly recognized that asthma exhibits both clinical and pathological heterogeneity. It follows that a one-size-fits-all approach will not be appropriate and cost-effectiveness may only be achieved by identifying responder subgroups. This so-called personalized approach to therapy is being supported by the parallel development of companion biomarkers for clinical application. In this review, the author summarizes the clinical studies, their interpretation and the lessons learnt with mepolizumab that have informed our understanding of the approach to personalized molecular therapy in asthma. Keywords: IL-5, Nucala, exacerbations 

Job strain and the risk of severe asthma exacerbations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heikkilä, K; Madsen, I E H; Nyberg, S T

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Many patients and healthcare professionals believe that work-related psychosocial stress, such as job strain, can make asthma worse, but this is not corroborated by empirical evidence. We investigated the associations between job strain and the incidence of severe asthma exacerbations...... in working-age European men and women. METHODS: We analysed individual-level data, collected between 1985 and 2010, from 102 175 working-age men and women in 11 prospective European studies. Job strain (a combination of high demands and low control at work) was self-reported at baseline. Incident severe...... asthma exacerbations were ascertained from national hospitalization and death registries. Associations between job strain and asthma exacerbations were modelled using Cox regression and the study-specific findings combined using random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 10 years...

IgE sensitization and sociodemographic conditions as determinant factors in asthma severity

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Rodrigo Gaviria

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: In Latin America there are few data about the factors that influence the control and severity of asthma. Objective: To describe the association between IgE sensitization to intra-home allergens and housing conditions in the severity of asthma. Methods: Sensitization to aero-allergens was evaluated by skin prick test and socio-demographic data by a questionnaire in a population between 6 and 14 years of age with diagnosis of asthma. Asthma control was measured according to spirometric results and to the application of the ACT (Asthma Control Test; the severity and symptom control was evaluated according to the GINA guideline. Results: A total of 150 resident patients from the Aburra Valley (Colombia were included. The median age of participants was 11 years, 95 (63.3 % male. 92 % of the patients resided in the urban area. Mite sensitization was the most prevalent in controlled and uncontrolled patients. Sensitization to cockroach and some poverty conditions were risk factors for asthma severity. Conclusion: Poverty conditions appear to favor the development of severe asthma and in turn IgE sensitization to cockroaches. This sensitization could serve as a biomarker of severity.

Asthma disease management and the respiratory therapist.

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Kallstrom, Thomas J; Myers, Timothy R

2008-06-01

The role of the respiratory therapist (RT) is expanding with the growing acceptance and use of the disease-management paradigm for managing chronic diseases. RTs are key members of the asthma disease-management team, in acute-care settings, patients' homes, out-patient clinics, emergency departments, and in the community. Utilizing RTs as disease managers allows patients to be treated faster and more appropriately, discharged to home sooner, and decreases hospital admissions. RT are leaders in the emerging field of asthma disease management.

Multidimensional Analyses of Long-Term Clinical Courses of Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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Toru Oga

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD are chronic respiratory disorders involving obstructive airway defects. There have been many discussions on their similarities and differences. Although airflow limitation expressed as forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1 has been considered to be the main diagnostic assessment in both diseases, it does not reflect the functional impairment imparted to the patients by these diseases. Therefore, multidimensional approaches using multiple measurements in assessing disease control or severity have been recommended, and multiple endpoints in addition to FEV1 have been set recently in clinical trials so as not to miss the overall effects. In particular, as improving symptoms and health status as well as pulmonary function are important goals in the management of asthma and COPD, some patient-reported measurements such as health-related quality of life or dyspnea should be included. Nonetheless, there have been few reviews on the long-term clinical course comparing asthma and COPD as predicted by measurements other than airflow limitation. Here, we therefore analyzed and compared longitudinal changes in both physiological measurements and patient-reported measurements in asthma and COPD. Although both diseases showed similar long-term progressive airflow limitation similarly despite guideline-based therapies, disease progression was different in asthma and COPD. In asthma, patient-reported assessments of health status, disability and psychological status remained clinically stable over time, in contrast to the significant deterioration of these parameters in COPD. Thus, because a single measurement of airflow limitation is insufficient to monitor these diseases, multidimensional analyses are important not only for disease control but also for understanding disease progression in asthma and COPD. KEY WORDS: asthma, COPD, longitudinal survey, multidimensional analysis, patient

Autoimmune diseases in asthma.

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Tirosh, Amir; Mandel, Dror; Mimouni, Francis B; Zimlichman, Eyal; Shochat, Tzippora; Kochba, Ilan

2006-06-20

Previous research has suggested an inverse relationship between T-helper 2-related atopic disorders, such as asthma, and T-helper 1-related autoimmune diseases. One controversial hypothesis postulates that asthma provides a protective effect for the development of autoimmune-related disorders. To assess the rate of newly diagnosed autoimmune disorders in a large cohort of young adults. Using cross-sectional data from the Israeli Defense Force database, the authors analyzed the prevalence of autoimmune disorders in asthmatic and nonasthmatic military personnel between 1980 and 2003. A follow-up study traced newly diagnosed autoimmune disorders among asthmatic and nonasthmatic individuals from the time of enrollment in military service until discharge (22 and 36 months for women and men, respectively). General community. 307,367 male and 181,474 female soldiers in compulsory military service who were between 18 and 21 years of age. Cases of type 1 diabetes mellitus, vasculitis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and the antiphospholipid syndrome. Of 488,841 participants at enrollment, significantly more women than men had autoimmune disorders. Compared with asthmatic women, nonasthmatic women had a significantly higher prevalence of all autoimmune disorders except for the antiphospholipid syndrome. Type 1 diabetes mellitus, vasculitis, and rheumatoid arthritis were less prevalent in men with asthma than in those without. During the follow-up period, vasculitis and rheumatoid arthritis were more frequently diagnosed in nonasthmatic persons of both sexes. There was a significantly higher incidence of immune thrombocytopenic purpura, inflammatory bowel disease, and the antiphospholipid syndrome in nonasthmatic women and a statistically significantly higher incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in nonasthmatic men. The study was limited to a population of young military recruits; therefore, its findings are not necessarily

Management preferences of pediatricians in moderate and severe acute asthma.

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Arga, Mustafa; Bakirtas, Arzu; Catal, Ferhat; Derinoz, Oksan; Topal, Erdem; Demirsoy, M Sadik; Turktas, Ipek

2013-05-01

To assess and compare management preferences of physicians for moderate and severe acute asthma based on case scenarios and to determine the factors influencing their decisions. A questionnaire based on the Global Initiative on Asthma (GINA) guideline and comprising eight questions on management of acute asthma was delivered to participants of two national pediatric congresses. Management of moderate and severe acute asthma cases was evaluated by two clinical case scenarios for estimation of acute attack severity, initial treatment, treatment after 1h, and discharge recommendations. A uniform answer box comprising the possible choices was provided just below the questions, and respondents were requested to tick the answers they thought was appropriate. Four-hundred and eighteen questionnaires were analyzed. All questions regarding moderate and severe acute asthma case scenarios were answered accurately by 15.8% and 17.0% of physicians, respectively. The initial treatment of moderate and severe cases was known by 100.0% and 78.2% of physicians, respectively. Knowledge of the appropriate plan for treatment after 1h was low both for moderate (45.0%) and severe attacks (35.4%). Discharge recommendations were adequate in 32.5% and 70.8% of physicians for moderate and severe attacks, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that working at a hospital with a continuing medical education program was the only significant predictor of a correct response to all questions regarding severe attacks (p = .04; 95%CI, 1.02-3.21). No predictors were found for information on moderate attacks. Pediatricians have difficulty in planning treatment after 1 hour both for moderate and severe asthma attacks. Postgraduate education programs that target physicians in hospitals without continuing medical education facilities may improve guideline adherence.

Insight Into the Relationship Between Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Asthma

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Vaezi, Michael F

2014-01-01

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common condition that presents with symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation. Asthma is an equally common medical condition that often coexists with GERD. The clinical scenario of difficult-to-treat asthma in the setting of concomitant GERD leads to the possibility of GERD-induced asthma. However, asthma may also induce GERD, so confusion has developed about the role of GERD in patients with moderate to severe asthma. Acid-suppressive therapy may be initiated in patients with asthma, but controlled studies have recently questioned the role of such therapy and, thus, have caused further confusion in this field. Recent advancements in the field of esophageal physiologic testing in GERD have introduced the concept of impedance–pH monitoring, which suggests a possible role of nonacid reflux in those who continue to be symptomatic despite acid-suppressive therapy. However, recent data caution about the role of surgical fundoplication based solely on the results of impedance monitoring. This article reviews current knowledge in the fields of GERD and asthma and suggests a possible treatment option for this group of patients. PMID:28435409

Influence of β(2)-adrenergic receptor polymorphisms on asthma exacerbation in children with severe asthma regularly receiving salmeterol.

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Giubergia, Verónica; Gravina, Luis; Castaños, Claudio; Chertkoff, Lilien

2013-03-01

New evidence suggests that different β(2)-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) polymorphisms may influence asthma control in patients receiving long-acting β(2)agonists (LABAs) as regular therapy. To determine the influence of β2AR polymorphisms on asthma exacerbations in children with severe asthma from Argentina receiving inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and LABAs regularly. Ninety-seven children with severe asthma were genotyped for polymorphisms of β2AR at codons 16 and 27. The number of severe exacerbations, the time of first asthma exacerbation, and the number of hospitalizations during 12 months were assessed. Changes on pulmonary function from the beginning to the end of the study were also evaluated. The number of overall asthma exacerbations and the proportion of children with these events were similar among β2AR genotypes at position 16 (Arg/Arg, Arg/Gly, and Gly/Gly) and at position 27 (Gln/Gln, Gln/Glu, and Glu/Glu). The time to first asthma exacerbation was similar among individuals carrying different β2AR polymorphisms. No β2AR genotype association was found in relation to the number of hospitalizations. Longitudinal analysis of forced expiratory volume in 1 second from baseline to the end of the study also showed no differences among β2AR genotypes at position 16 or 27. No association was observed among the 3 most common haplotypes (Arg/Arg-Gln/Gln, Gly/Gly-Gln/Gln, and Gly/Gly-Glu/Glu) and the number of participants with asthmatic crisis or with the overall number of exacerbations. β2AR polymorphisms were not associated with an increased risk of having asthma exacerbations or lung function decline in a population of Argentinian children with severe asthma receiving ICS and LABAs regularly. Copyright © 2013 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mortality among subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma at two respiratory disease clinics in Ontario

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Finkelstein, Murray M; Chapman, Kenneth R; McIvor, R Andrew; Sears, Malcolm R

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are common; however, mortality rates among individuals with these diseases are not well studied in North America. OBJECTIVE: To investigate mortality rates and risk factors for premature death among subjects with COPD. METHODS: Subjects were identified from the lung function testing databases of two academic respiratory disease clinics in Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario. Mortality was ascertained by linkage to the Ontario mortality registry between 1992 and 2002, inclusive. Standardized mortality ratios were computed. Poisson regression of standardized mortality ratios and proportional hazards regression were performed to examine the multivariate effect of risk factors on the standardized mortality ratios and mortality hazards. RESULTS: Compared with the Ontario population, all-cause mortality was approximately doubled among subjects with COPD, but was lower than expected among subjects with asthma. The risk of mortality in patients with COPD was related to cigarette smoking, to the presence of comorbid conditons of ischemic heart disease and diabetes, and to Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease severity scores. Individuals living closer to traffic sources showed an elevated risk of death compared with those who lived further away from traffic sources. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality rates among subjects diagnosed with COPD were substantially elevated. There were several deaths attributed to asthma among subjects in the present study; however, overall, patients with asthma demonstrated lower mortality rates than the general population. Subjects with COPD need to be managed with attention devoted to both their respiratory disorders and related comorbidities. PMID:22187688

Serum YKL-40 and assessment of severity of bronchial asthma in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EL-HAKIM

YKL-40 and asthma severity. 95. Table 1. Characteristics of the studied groups. Variable. Control. (n=15). Mild-Moderate asthma. (n=15). Severe asthma. (n=15). Age (yrs) mean±SD. 7.7±4.7. 6.6±4.9. 3.3±2.7. Gender (male); n (%). 10 (67%). 9 (60%). 8 (50%). PAS score. 0-4 (normal). 5-7 (mild attack). 8-11(moderate).

Asthma and Allergic Diseases in Pregnancy: A Review

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Pali-Sch?ll, Isabella; Motala, Cassim; Jensen-Jarolim, Erika

2009-01-01

Asthma and allergic disorders can affect the course and outcome of pregnancy. Pregnancy itself may also affect the course of asthma and related diseases. Optimal management of these disorders during pregnancy is vital to ensure the welfare of the mother and the baby. Specific pharmacological agents for treatment of asthma or allergic diseases must be cautiously selected and are discussed here with respect to safety considerations in pregnancy. Although most drugs do not harm the fetus, this k...

Serum progranulin as an indicator of neutrophilic airway inflammation and asthma severity.

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Park, So Young; Hong, Gyong Hwa; Park, Sunjoo; Shin, Bomi; Yoon, Sun-Young; Kwon, Hyouk-Soo; Kim, Tae-Bum; Moon, Hee-Bom; Cho, You Sook

2016-12-01

Progranulin, a protein secreted from the airway epithelium, is known to attenuate the downstream cascade of neutrophilic inflammation in particular. We hypothesized that progranulin may have a role in inflammatory regulation in asthma. To investigate the association between serum progranulin levels and various clinical features in patients with asthma. Serum samples and clinical data of 475 patients with asthma and 35 healthy controls at a tertiary referral hospital and its affiliated health promotion center were collected. Serum progranulin levels were compared between patients with asthma and healthy controls and then were compared within the patients with asthma in terms of pulmonary function and measures of inflammatory status. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with severity of asthma. Serum progranulin levels were significantly lower in the asthma group than in healthy group and were positively correlated with prebronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second predicted within patients with asthma. We found a negative correlation between serum progranulin levels and blood neutrophil counts. Multivariate analysis revealed that higher serum progranulin levels were associated with a lower risk of severe asthma (odds ratio, 0.888; 95% confidence interval, 0.846-0.932; P progranulin remains unknown, we suggest that serum progranulin may be an indicator of severe asthma with airflow limitation. Future studies with comprehensive airway sampling strategies are warranted to clarify its role, particularly in neutrophilic asthma. Copyright © 2016 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association Between Severe Vitamin D Deficiency, Lung Function and Asthma Control.

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Beyhan-Sagmen, Seda; Baykan, Ozgur; Balcan, Baran; Ceyhan, Berrin

2017-04-01

To examine the relationship between severe vitamin D deficiency, asthma control, and pulmonary function in Turkish adults with asthma. One hundred six asthmatic patients underwent pulmonary function tests skin prick test, peripheral blood eosinophil counts, IgE, body mass index and vitamin D levels were determined. Patients were divided into 2 subgroups according to vitamin D levels (vitamin D level<10ng/ml and vitamin D level≥10 ng/ml). Asthma control tests were performed. The mean age of subgroup i (vitamin D level<10) was 37±10 and the mean age of subgroup ii (vitamin D level≥10ng/ml) was 34±8. Sixty-six percent of patients had severe vitamin D deficiency (vitamin D level<10 ng/ml). There was a significant trend towards lower absolute FEV 1 (L) values in patients with lower vitamin D levels (P=.001). Asthma control test scores were significantly low in the severe deficiency group than the other group (P=.02). There were a greater number of patients with uncontrolled asthma (asthma control test scores<20) in the severe vitamin D deficiency group (P=.040). Patients with severe vitamin D deficiency had a higher usage of inhaled corticosteroids than the group without severe vitamin D deficiency (P=.015). There was a significant trend towards lower absolute FEV 1 (L) (P=.005, r=.272) values in patients with lower vitamin D levels. Vitamin D levels were inversely related with body mass index (P=.046). The incidence of severe vitamin D deficiency was high in adult Turkish asthmatics. In addition, lower vitamin D levels were associated with poor asthma control and decreased pulmonary function. Copyright © 2016 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effects of Omalizumab Treatment on Some Biomarkers in Severe Allergic Asthma Patients

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Seda Tural Önür

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: The mechanism of biological treatment molecule called omalizumab used in asthma treatment is thought to be versatile; however, the mechanism still remains unknown. This study was undertaken in severe asthma patients underwent omalizumab treatment, in order to investigate the relationship between biomarker expression and disease characteristics related to the immune system. Methods: Consecutive patients with severe asthma disease (n=15; Group IA, pretreatment and Group IB, post-treatment underwent omalizumab treatment. Control group was age- and sex-matched including 25 healthy in Group II. Blood samples from both the groups were taken during their first visit (Group IA and II and then after 12 months of treatment in asthmatic patients (Group IB. Serum levels of homocysteine (Hcy, eosinophil cationic peptide (ECP, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OHD, interleukin-1β (IL-1β, soluble OX2 (sCD200 and clinical follow-up tests including fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO, asthma control test (ACT, and pulmonary function tests were evaluated. Results: After the treatment, 25(OHD levels and pulmonary function tests, including forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 and forced vital capacity (FVC levels, were significantly increased. Furthermore, total immunoglobulin E (IgE, Hcy, ECP, FeNO, and sCD200 levels were dramatically diminished. Regression analysis revealed positive correlations between ACT-FEV1 and ACT- FVC and between FeNO-age and FeNO-ECP for Group IA patients. Negative correlations were detected between ACT-IgE, age-FEV1, FeNO-FEV1, and FeNO-FVC for Group IA patients. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the potential use of serum biomolecules in concordance to the clinical status of the asthmatic patients might be a follow-up tool for the omalizumab therapy.

Genome Wide Association Study to predict severe asthma exacerbations in children using random forests classifiers

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Litonjua Augusto A

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Personalized health-care promises tailored health-care solutions to individual patients based on their genetic background and/or environmental exposure history. To date, disease prediction has been based on a few environmental factors and/or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, while complex diseases are usually affected by many genetic and environmental factors with each factor contributing a small portion to the outcome. We hypothesized that the use of random forests classifiers to select SNPs would result in an improved predictive model of asthma exacerbations. We tested this hypothesis in a population of childhood asthmatics. Methods In this study, using emergency room visits or hospitalizations as the definition of a severe asthma exacerbation, we first identified a list of top Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS SNPs ranked by Random Forests (RF importance score for the CAMP (Childhood Asthma Management Program population of 127 exacerbation cases and 290 non-exacerbation controls. We predict severe asthma exacerbations using the top 10 to 320 SNPs together with age, sex, pre-bronchodilator FEV1 percentage predicted, and treatment group. Results Testing in an independent set of the CAMP population shows that severe asthma exacerbations can be predicted with an Area Under the Curve (AUC = 0.66 with 160-320 SNPs in comparison to an AUC score of 0.57 with 10 SNPs. Using the clinical traits alone yielded AUC score of 0.54, suggesting the phenotype is affected by genetic as well as environmental factors. Conclusions Our study shows that a random forests algorithm can effectively extract and use the information contained in a small number of samples. Random forests, and other machine learning tools, can be used with GWAS studies to integrate large numbers of predictors simultaneously.

Non-invasive ventilation in severe asthma attack, its possibilities and problems.

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Murase, K; Tomii, K; Chin, K; Niimi, A; Ishihara, K; Mishima, M

2011-06-01

Asthma attack is characterized by episodic attacks of cough, dyspnea and wheeze occurring due to bronchoconstriction, airway hyperresponsiveness and mucous hypersecretion. Although nationwide clinical guidelines have been published to establish the standard care of asthma, choices in the treatment of fatal asthma attacks remain of clinical significance. Especially, in a severe asthma attack, despite the application of conventional medical treatment, respiratory management is critical. Even though non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to be effective in a wide variety of clinical settings, reports of NIV in asthmatic patients are scarce. According to a few prospective clinical trials reporting promising results in favour of the use of NIV in a severe asthma attack, a trial of NIV prior to invasive mechanical ventilation seems acceptable and may benefit patients by decreasing the need for intubation and by supporting pharmaceutical treatments. Although selecting the appropriate patients for NIV use is a key factor in successful NIV application, how to distinguish such patients is quite controversial. Larger high quality clinical trails are urgently required to confirm the benefits of NIV to patients with severe asthma attack. In this article, we focus on the body of evidence supporting the use of NIV in asthma attacks and discuss its advantages as well its problems.

Benralizumab: a unique IL-5 inhibitor for severe asthma

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Tan LD

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Laren D Tan,1 Jennifer M Bratt,2 Dorottya Godor,3 Samuel Louie,2 Nicholas J Kenyon2 1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA; 2Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA; 3School of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary Abstract: The presence of eosinophilic inflammation is a characteristic feature of chronic and acute inflammation in asthma. An estimated 5%–10% of the 300 million people worldwide who suffer from asthma have a severe form. Patients with eosinophilic airway inflammation represent approximately 40%–60% of this severe asthmatic population. This form of asthma is often uncontrolled, marked by refractoriness to standard therapy, and shows persistent airway eosinophilia despite glucocorticoid therapy. This paper reviews personalized novel therapies, more specifically benralizumab, a humanized anti-IL-5Rα antibody, while also being the first to provide an algorithm for potential candidates who may benefit from anti-IL-5Rα therapy. Keywords: asthma, eosinophils, asthma treatments, benralizumab, IL-5, IL-5Rα, MEDI-563

Lipoxin Generation Is Related to Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Activity in Severe Asthma

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Ono, Emiko; Dutile, Stefanie; Kazani, Shamsah; Wechsler, Michael E.; Yang, Jun; Hammock, Bruce D.; Douda, David Nobuhiro; Tabet, Yacine; Khaddaj-Mallat, Rayan; Sirois, Marco; Sirois, Chantal; Rizcallah, Edmond; Rousseau, Éric; Martin, Richard; Sutherland, E. Rand; Castro, Mario; N. Jarjour, Nizar; Israel, Elliot

2014-01-01

Rationale: Severe asthma is characterized by airway inflammatory responses associated with aberrant metabolism of arachidonic acid. Lipoxins (LX) are arachidonate-derived pro-resolving mediators that are decreased in severe asthma, yet mechanisms for defective LX biosynthesis and a means to increase LXs in severe asthma remain to be established. Objectives: To determine if oxidative stress and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) activity are linked to decreased LX biosynthesis in severe asthma. Methods: Aliquots of blood, sputum, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were obtained from asthma subjects for mediator determination. Select samples were exposed to t-butyl-hydroperoxide or sEH inhibitor (sEHI) before activation. Peripheral blood leukocyte–platelet aggregates were monitored by flow cytometry, and bronchial contraction was determined with cytokine-treated human lung sections. Measurements and Main Results: 8-Isoprostane levels in sputum supernatants were inversely related to LXA4 in severe asthma (r = −0.55; P = 0.03) and t-butyl-hydroperoxide decreased LXA4 and 15-epi-LXA4 biosynthesis by peripheral blood leukocytes. LXA4 and 15-epi-LXA4 levels were inversely related to sEH activity in sputum supernatants and sEHIs significantly increased 14,15-epoxy-eicosatrienoic acid and 15-epi-LXA4 generation by severe asthma whole blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells. The abundance of peripheral blood leukocyte–platelet aggregates was related to asthma severity. In a concentration-dependent manner, LXs significantly inhibited platelet-activating factor–induced increases in leukocyte–platelet aggregates (70.8% inhibition [LXA4 100 nM], 78.3% inhibition [15-epi-LXA4 100 nM]) and 15-epi-LXA4 markedly inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α–induced increases in bronchial contraction. Conclusions: LX levels were decreased by oxidative stress and sEH activity. Inhibitors of sEH increased LXs that mediated antiphlogistic actions, suggesting a new therapeutic approach

Asthma severity, child security, and child internalizing: using story stem techniques to assess the meaning children give to family and disease-specific events.

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Winter, Marcia A; Fiese, Barbara H; Spagnola, Mary; Anbar, Ran D

2011-12-01

Children with persistent asthma are at increased risk for mental health problems. Although mechanisms of effect are not yet known, it may be that children are less trusting of the family as a source of support and security when they have more severe asthma. This study tested whether asthma severity is related to children's perceptions of insecurity in the family, and whether insecurity is in turn associated with child adjustment. Children (N = 168; mean age = 8 years) completed story stems pertaining to routine family events (e.g., mealtimes) and ambiguous but potentially threatening asthma events such as tightness in the chest. Responses were evaluated for the extent to which appraisals portrayed the family as responding in cohesive, security-provoking ways. Asthma severity was assessed by both objective lung function testing and primary caregiver report. Caregivers reported child symptomatology. Beyond medication adherence, caregiver education, and child age and gender, greater asthma severity predicted more internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Greater asthma severity, assessed using spirometry (but not parent report), was related to less secure child narratives of the family, which in turn related to more child internalizing symptoms. Results suggest that asthma can take a considerable toll on children's feelings of security and mental health. Furthermore, given the difficulty in assessing young children's perceptions, this study helps demonstrate the potential of story stem techniques in assessing children's appraisals of illness threat and management in the family.

ANTI-IGE THERAPY FOR SEVERE ASTHMA IN CHILDREN: TWO-YEAR TRIAL

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T.Yu. Kulichenko

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The article summarizes a two-year experience of treating children and adolescents with severe uncontrolled atopic asthma using Omalizumab. This treatment facilitated to achieve full asthma control in 70% of patients and partial control in 30% of patients. Anti-Ig Etherapy contributes to reduce the frequency of asthma relapses 77%, and the number of those seeking emergency medical treatment, particularly no need for in-patient asthma care. Thanks to treatment, lung function parameters improve, particularly in children with low bronchial patency parameters even after administration of broncholytics. Thanks to treatment with omalizumab, the dosage of inhalant glucocorticosteroids is reduced 1.5 to 2.5 times in 75% patients. Treatment tolerance in all children is satisfactory, no serious adverse events associated with the medication or any system side effects are registered in patients. Anti-IgE therapy is a good alternative to use of high and ultra-high doses of inhalant glucocorticosteroids in children with severe atopic asthma. Key words: omalizumab, anti-IgE-antibodies, treatment-resistant asthma, atopic asthma, treatment, children, adolescents, asthma control. (Pediatric Pharmacology. – 2010; 7(3:57-65

Therapeutic approaches to asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndromes.

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Barnes, Peter J

2015-09-01

The recognition that there are some patients with features of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has highlighted the need to develop more specific treatments for these clinical phenotypes. Some patients with COPD have predominantly eosinophilic inflammation and might respond to high doses of inhaled corticosteroids and newly developed specific antieosinophil therapies, including blocking antibodies against IL-5, IL-13, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin, as well as oral chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on TH2 cells antagonists. Other patients have severe asthma or are asthmatic patients who smoke with features of COPD-induced inflammation and might benefit from treatments targeting neutrophils, including macrolides, CXCR2 antagonists, phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors, p38 mitogen-activating protein kinase inhibitors, and antibodies against IL-1 and IL-17. Other patients appear to have largely fixed obstruction with little inflammation and might respond to long-acting bronchodilators, including long-acting muscarinic antagonists, to reduce hyperinflation. Highly selected patients with severe asthma might benefit from bronchial thermoplasty. Some patients with overlap syndromes can be conveniently treated with triple fixed-dose combination inhaler therapy with an inhaled corticosteroid, long-acting β2-agonist, and long-acting muscarinic antagonist, several of which are now in development. Corticosteroid resistance is a feature of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome, and understanding the various molecular mechanisms of this resistance has identified novel therapeutic targets and presented the prospect of therapies that can restore corticosteroid responsiveness. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Serum Reactive Oxygen Metabolite Levels Predict Severe Exacerbations of Asthma

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Nakamoto, Keitaro; Watanabe, Masato; Sada, Mitsuru; Inui, Toshiya; Nakamura, Masuo; Honda, Kojiro; Wada, Hiroo; Mikami, Yu; Matsuzaki, Hirotaka; Horie, Masafumi; Noguchi, Satoshi; Yamauchi, Yasuhiro; Koyama, Hikari; Kogane, Toshiyuki; Kohyama, Tadashi; Takizawa, Hajime

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose Bronchial asthma (BA) is a chronic airway disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and remodeling, which are intimately linked to chronic airway inflammation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide are generated by inflammatory cells that are involved in the pathogenesis of BA. However, the role of ROS in the management of BA patients is not yet clear. We attempted to determine the role of ROS as a biomarker in the clinical setting of BA. Subjects and Methods We enrolled patients with BA from 2013 through 2015 and studied the degrees of asthma control, anti-asthma treatment, pulmonary function test results, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), serum reactive oxygen metabolite (ROM) levels, and serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8. Results We recruited 110 patients with BA. Serum ROM levels correlated with white blood cell (WBC) count (rs = 0.273, p = 0.004), neutrophil count (rs = 0.235, p = 0.014), CRP (rs = 0.403, p < 0.001), and IL-6 (rs = 0.339, p < 0.001). Serum ROM levels and IL-8 and CRP levels negatively correlated with %FEV1 (rs = -0.240, p = 0.012, rs = -0.362, p < 0.001, rs = -0.197, p = 0.039, respectively). Serum ROM levels were significantly higher in patients who experienced severe exacerbation within 3 months than in patients who did not (339 [302–381] vs. 376 [352–414] CARR U, p < 0.025). Receiver-operating characteristics analysis showed that ROM levels correlated significantly with the occurrence of severe exacerbation (area under the curve: 0.699, 95% CI: 0.597–0.801, p = 0.025). Conclusions Serum levels of ROM were significantly associated with the degrees of airway obstruction, WBC counts, neutrophil counts, IL-6, and severe exacerbations. This biomarker may be useful in predicting severe exacerbations of BA. PMID:27776186

Outcome of short-term hospitalization for children with severe asthma.

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Weinstein, A G; Faust, D S; McKee, L; Padman, R

1992-07-01

This study presents results of a family-centered, short-term residential program in which medical, behavioral, and treatment assessments were provided to the child with severe asthma and the family. After a median stay of 15 days, forty-four consecutively admitted children with severe asthma achieved a 93% reduction in hospital days (median, 7 hospital days for the year before treatment versus median 0 hospital days per patient per year at 20 1/2-month follow-up; p less than 0.001) and an 81% reduction in emergency care (median, 4 visits for the year previously versus median, 0.4 visits per patient per year at follow-up; p less than 0.01). There was also a significant reduction in corticosteroid bursts and improvement in FEV1. Unique to this program was mandatory family participation focusing on the child's and family's adaptation to severe asthma and development of family-specific interventions to promote compliance with the treatment regimen. Child and family functioning was assessed at admission and follow-up. Hospital use at follow-up was greater for children from dysfunctional families. Families demonstrating difficulties in disciplining the child with asthma required more hospital days both before admission and at follow-up. Short-term hospitalization for children with severe asthma is associated with significant improvement in pulmonary morbidity when the family of the child is included in assessment and treatment.

Patient and physician evaluation of the severity of acute asthma exacerbations

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Atta J.A.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available We studied the ability of patients not experienced in the use of peak expiratory flow meters to assess the severity of their asthma exacerbations and compared it to the assessment of experienced clinicians. We also evaluated which data of physical examination and medical history are used by physicians to subjectively evaluate the severity of asthma attacks. Fifty-seven adult patients (15 men and 42 women, with a mean (± SD age of 37.3 ± 14.5 years and 24.0 ± 17.9 years of asthma symptoms with asthma exacerbations were evaluated in a University Hospital Emergency Department. Patients and physicians independently evaluated the severity of the asthma attack using a linear scale. Patient score, physician score and forced expiratory volume at the first second (FEV1 were correlated with history and physical examination variables, and were also considered as dependent variables in multiple linear regression models. FEV1 correlated significantly with the physician score (rho = 0.42, P = 0.001, but not with patient score (rho = 0.03; P = 0.77. Use of neck accessory muscles, expiratory time and wheezing intensity were the explanatory variables in the FEV1 regression model and were also present in the physician score model. We conclude that physicians evaluate asthma exacerbation severity better than patients and that physician's scoring of asthma severity correlated significantly with objective measures of airway obstruction (FEV1. Some variables (the use of neck accessory muscles, expiratory time and wheezing intensity persisted as explanatory variables in physician score and FEV1 regression models, and should be emphasized in medical schools and emergency settings.

Patient and physician evaluation of the severity of acute asthma exacerbations

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J.A. Atta

2004-09-01

Full Text Available We studied the ability of patients not experienced in the use of peak expiratory flow meters to assess the severity of their asthma exacerbations and compared it to the assessment of experienced clinicians. We also evaluated which data of physical examination and medical history are used by physicians to subjectively evaluate the severity of asthma attacks. Fifty-seven adult patients (15 men and 42 women, with a mean (± SD age of 37.3 ± 14.5 years and 24.0 ± 17.9 years of asthma symptoms with asthma exacerbations were evaluated in a University Hospital Emergency Department. Patients and physicians independently evaluated the severity of the asthma attack using a linear scale. Patient score, physician score and forced expiratory volume at the first second (FEV1 were correlated with history and physical examination variables, and were also considered as dependent variables in multiple linear regression models. FEV1 correlated significantly with the physician score (rho = 0.42, P = 0.001, but not with patient score (rho = 0.03; P = 0.77. Use of neck accessory muscles, expiratory time and wheezing intensity were the explanatory variables in the FEV1 regression model and were also present in the physician score model. We conclude that physicians evaluate asthma exacerbation severity better than patients and that physician's scoring of asthma severity correlated significantly with objective measures of airway obstruction (FEV1. Some variables (the use of neck accessory muscles, expiratory time and wheezing intensity persisted as explanatory variables in physician score and FEV1 regression models, and should be emphasized in medical schools and emergency settings.

Churg-Strauss syndrome: a new endotype of severe asthma? Results of 14 Turkish patients.

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Yılmaz, İnsu; Çelik, Gülfem; Aydın, Ömür; Özdemir, Seçil Kepil; Soyyiğit, Şadan; Sözener, Zeynep; Özgüçlü, Selcan; Atasoy, Çetin; Düzgün, Nurşen; Mungan, Dilşad; Sin, Betül; Demirel, Yavuz Selim; Mısırlıgil, Zeynep

2015-07-01

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a rare multisystem vasculitis. Considering the variation of autoimmune diseases in different races, it is of interest to determine whether any outstanding features exist for Turkish patients with CSS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and serological features of the disease, the treatment, and long-term follow-up details, and to investigate possible etiological factors of Turkish CSS patients. The study included 14 patients who were diagnosed with CSS, and followed by our department between 2004 and 2012. Possible etiological factors, initial symptoms, clinical presentations, treatment, as well as outcomes were documented. The study was approved by the local ethics. All patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria. Initial symptoms were worsening asthma (n = 14; 100%) and skin lesions (n = 6; 43%). All patients had a diagnosis of asthma and nasal polyps, whereas 57.1% had aspirin hypersensitivity at the time of diagnosis. The lungs (100%) and skin (43%) were most commonly involved. Peripheral eosinophilia dominated on initial presentations of all patients. Initial treatments included oral methyl prednisolone in all cases, whereas cyclophosphamide and azathioprine were used in three cases. Relapses were detected in five cases. None of the cases were able to stop the oral corticosteroid treatment. No fatalities were observed. We herein describe a new severe asthma endotype in connection with CSS. We suggest that physicians who deal with uncontrolled severe asthma cases should consider CSS in the presence of nasal polyps, aspirin hypersensitivity, and especially peripheral blood eosinophilia over 10%. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with impaired disease control in asthma-COPD overlap syndrome patients.

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Odler, Balázs; Ivancsó, István; Somogyi, Vivien; Benke, Kálmán; Tamási, Lilla; Gálffy, Gabriella; Szalay, Balázs; Müller, Veronika

2015-01-01

The association between vitamin D and clinical parameters in obstructive lung diseases (OLDs), including COPD and bronchial asthma, was previously investigated. As asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) is a new clinical entity, the prevalence of vitamin D levels in ACOS is unknown. Our aim was to assess the levels of circulating vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]) in different OLDs, including ACOS patients, and its correlation with clinical parameters. A total of 106 men and women (control, n=21; asthma, n=44; COPD, n=21; and ACOS, n=20) were involved in the study. All patients underwent detailed clinical examinations; disease control and severity was assessed by disease-specific questionnaires (COPD assessment test, asthma control test, and modified Medical Research Council); furthermore, 25(OH)D levels were measured in all patients. The 25(OH)D level was significantly lower in ACOS and COPD groups compared to asthma group (16.86±1.79 ng/mL and 14.27±1.88 ng/mL vs 25.66±1.91 ng/mL). A positive correlation was found between 25(OH)D level and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (r=0.4433; PD level showed a positive correlation in the ACOS (r=0.4761; P=0.0339) but not in the asthma group. Higher COPD assessment test total scores correlated with decreased 25(OH)D in ACOS (r=-0.4446; P=0.0495); however, this was not observed in the COPD group. Vitamin D deficiency is present in ACOS patients and circulating 25(OH)D level may affect disease control and severity.

[The degree of asthma severity in children and the level of maternal anxiety and depression].

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Witkowska-Płusa, Urszula

2015-02-01

Care for sick children most often falls to mothers, which may affect their mental state, causing the states of depression and anxiety. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the severity of asthma in children and the level of anxiety and depression in mothers, taking into account the importance of the material status of the family, the educational level of the mothers, the presence of critical events, as well as the coexistence of allergic diseases in other family members. The study included 60 mothers of children with bronchial asthma. Age of mothers in the investigated families was on average 37.28 +/- 6.24 years, and most had a high school education (55.0%) or higher (28.3%). 16.7% of mothers and 8.3% fathers suffered from asthma. 13.3% of mothers of children with asthma were brought child alone. To assess the level of anxiety the inventory for measuring state and trait anxiety (STAI - State Trait Anxiety Inventory) developed by Spielberger, Gorsuch'a and Lushene'a was applied. To determine the changes in depressive the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI - Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire) was used. The Student's t test was included for two independent populations and a comparison of the results obtained in the questionnaire for diagnosing the level of anxiety and depression. For other parameters the correlation coefficient r-Pearson rank and Kendall's tau were performed. Mothers of children with moderate asthma compared to mothers of children with mild asthma had higher levels of anxiety (both state and properties), and also a slightly higher level of depression. Maternal age was connected positively and moderately strongly with the number held by children (r = 0.380; p = 0.003) and age of a child with asthma (r = 0.613, p = 0.0005). The duration of the child's disease was associated positively and moderately strongly with the level of state anxiety mother (X-1) (r = 0.345; p = 0.007) and a bit less and also positively with the

Prevalence of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms and reflux-associated respiratory symptoms in asthma

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2010-01-01

Background Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) symptoms are common in asthma and have been extensively studied, but less so in the Asian continent. Reflux-associated respiratory symptoms (RARS) have, in contrast, been little-studied globally. We report the prevalence of GORD symptoms and RARS in adult asthmatics, and their association with asthma severity and medication use. Methods A cross-sectional analytical study. A validated interviewer-administered GORD scale was used to assess frequency and severity of seven GORD symptoms. Subjects were consecutive asthmatics attending medical clinics. Controls were matched subjects without respiratory symptoms. Results The mean (SD) composite GORD symptom score of asthmatics was significantly higher than controls (21.8 (17.2) versus 12.0 (7.6); P < 0.001) as was frequency of each symptom and RARS. Prevalence of GORD symptoms in asthmatics was 59.4% (95% CI, 59.1%-59.6%) versus 28.5% in controls (95% CI, 29.0% - 29.4%). 36% of asthmatics experienced respiratory symptoms in association with both typical and atypical GORD symptoms, compared to 10% of controls (P < 0.001). An asthmatic had a 3.5 times higher risk of experiencing a GORD symptom after adjusting for confounders (OR 3.5; 95% CI 2.5-5.3). Severity of asthma had a strong dose-response relationship with GORD symptoms. Asthma medication use did not significantly influence the presence of GORD symptoms. Conclusions GORD symptoms and RARS were more prevalent in a cohort of Sri Lankan adult asthmatics compared to non-asthmatics. Increased prevalence of RARS is associated with both typical and atypical symptoms of GORD. Asthma disease and its severity, but not asthma medication, appear to influence presence of GORD symptoms. PMID:20843346

Severe angina pectoris in asthma attack: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabavizadeh, Seyed Hesamedin; Farahbakhsh, Nazanin; Fazel, Ali; Mosavat, Fereshteh; Anushiravani, Amir

2016-06-01

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways related to the obstruction of reversible airflow. Asthma presents as recurrent attacks of cough and dyspnea. Poor control causes recurrent admissions to the ICU, and mortality is related to poor drug compliance and follow-up. Angina pectoris is a syndrome of recurrent chest discomfort related to myocardial ischemia. The presence of these two disorders rarely has been reported. We reported a 12-year-old boy who was referred with exacerbation of asthma and developed angina pectoris during hospitalization. He had labored breathing and diffuse wheezing. During treatment of the asthma, the patient developed severe chest pain due to shunt formation and coronary hypoxia, caused by the sole administration of ventolin, since oxygen had been disconnected. After receiving appropriate therapy, both his asthma and angina recovered, and, to date, he has not experienced angina pectoris again.

[Trends of asthma control, disease management and perception in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, J T; Wang, W Q; Zhou, X; Yin, K S; Liu, C T; Wang, C Z; Huang, M; Chen, P; Yuan, Y D; Cai, S X; Wu, C G; Li, J; Lin, Q C; Zhou, J Y; Liu, H G; Gu, Y H; Huang, X G; Sun, D J; Yang, X H; Yang, L; Huo, J M; Chen, Z C; Zhou, W; Jiang, P; Tang, H P; Liu, R Y; Zhang, W; Chen, Y Q; Huang, Y J; Liu, X J; Dai, L M; Ye, X W; Hu, C P; Zhang, J; Xu, J Y

2018-03-12

Objective: To evaluate the changes of asthma control, disease management and perception in recent years in China. Methods: We conducted 2 multi-center, cross-sectional surveys. Outpatient asthmatic patients from 10 cities in mainland China (2007-2008) and 30 central cities from 30 provinces in China (except Tibet)(2015-2016) were recruited respectively. Data of asthma control, disease management and perception from the 2 surveys were compared for 10 cities which took part in both of the 2 surveys. Chi-square test was used for comparison between groups. Results: The asthma control level improved from 28.7%(839/2 928) in 2007-2008 to 39.2%(533/1 361) in 2015-2016( P control asthma when asthma symptoms deteriorated in 2015-2016, which was higher than the result of 2007-2008(31.8%, 803/2 524)( P control and disease perception in China improved significantly in recent years, while the rate of PFM usage showed no significant improvement. Asthma action plan including PFM monitoring and asthma self-management should be further promoted nationwide.

Does vitamin d deficiency contribute to the severity of asthma in children and adults

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, S.Z.A.; Hameed, K.; Jaleel, A.

2015-01-01

Role of vitamin D in the health of bones has been well established for over decades. It was known that its deficiency caused rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Later it was discovered that these can be corrected by giving vitamin D. Researchers discovered that vitamin D can be synthesized by exposure to sun. Hence it was also named t he sunshine vitamin . As time passed it was observed that low levels of vitamin D were associated with multiple diseases. This sparked the interest of the scientific community to further the research on vitamin D which led to the studies that started associating vitamin D with various diseases like cancers (prostate, colon and breast), autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis), infectious diseases (tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV), cardiovascular diseases, mental illnesses (schizophrenia), diabetes mellitus (type 1, type 2 and gestational) and allergic conditions like asthma. With time, more studies were carried out relating levels of vitamin D to development of asthma, asthma exacerbations and risk factors leading to development of asthma like respiratory tract infections with positive associations. A number of studies were carried out which tried to explain the possible molecular mechanisms relating deficiency of vitamin D in pathogenesis of asthma. This review summarizes the role of vitamin D in development of asthma and probable mechanisms relating vitamin D to the pathogenesis of asthma. (author)

DOES VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY CONTRIBUTE TO THE SEVERITY OF ASTHMA IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS?

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Syed Zaryab; Jaleel, Anila; Hameed, Kamran; Qazi, Salman; Suleman, Ahsan

2015-01-01

Role of vitamin D in the health of bones has been well established for over decades; It was known that its deficiency caused rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Later it was discovered that these can be corrected by giving vitamin D. Researchers discovered that vitamin D can be synthesized by exposure to sun. Hence it was also named "the sunshine vitamin". As time passed it was observed that low levels of vitamin D were associated with multiple diseases. This sparked the interest of the scientific community to further the research on vitamin D which led to the studies that started associating vitamin D with various diseases like cancers (prostate, colon and breast), autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis), infectious diseases (tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV), cardiovascular diseases, mental illnesses (schizophrenia), diabetes mellitus (type 1, type 2 and gestational) and allergic conditions like asthma. With time, more studies were carried out relating levels of vitamin D to development of asthma, asthma exacerbations and risk factors leading to development of asthma like respiratory tract infections with positive associations. A number of studies were carried out which tried to explain the possible molecular mechanisms relating deficiency of vitamin D in pathogenesis of asthma. This review summarizes the role of vitamin D in development of asthma and probable mechanisms relating vitamin D to the pathogenesis of asthma.

Asthma Severity in patients initiating controller monotherapy versus combination therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Diette, Gregory B; Fuhlbrigge, Anne L; Allen-Ramey, Felicia; Hopper, April; Sajjan, Shiva G; Markson, Leona E

2011-04-01

Asthma treatment guidelines recommend medications based on the level of asthma control. To evaluate differences in asthma control between patients who initiated asthma controller monotherapy versus combination therapy. Children (5-16 years; n = 488) and adults (17-80 years; n = 530) with asthma and no controller therapy in the prior 6 months were included. Telephone surveys were conducted within 5 days of filling a new asthma controller prescription with either the caregiver of children or the adult patient. Demographics, asthma control before therapy, and asthma-related resource use were assessed for patients initiating monotherapy (filling one asthma controller prescription) and combination therapy (filling more than one controller medication or a fixed-dose combination). Mean pediatric age was 10 years; 53% were male. Mean adult age was 47 years; 25% were male. There were no significant differences in asthma control score between patients receiving monotherapy and combination therapy. Children on combination therapy did not have more nighttime awakening or short-acting β-agonist use but were more likely to have been hospitalized due to asthma attack (p = .05) and have more unscheduled (p = .0374) and scheduled (p = .009) physician visits. Adults on combination therapy were more likely to have been hospitalized due to asthma attack (p asthma (p asthma control scores in the 4 weeks before index medication suggests that asthma severity during a treatment-free period did not differ significantly for patients initiating controller monotherapy versus combination therapy. From these findings, it appears that although physicians may not focus on asthma control when choosing the intensity of initial controller therapy, the intensity of health-care encounters may be an influence.

Benralizumab: From the Basic Mechanism of Action to the Potential Use in the Biological Therapy of Severe Eosinophilic Asthma

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Corrado Pelaia

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Asthma is a very frequent chronic airway disease that includes many different clinical phenotypes and inflammatory patterns. In particular, eosinophilic bronchial inflammation is often associated with allergic as well as nonallergic asthma. The most important cytokine involved in the induction, maintenance, and amplification of airway eosinophilia in asthma is interleukin-5 (IL-5, released by both T helper 2 (Th2 lymphocytes and group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2. Hence, IL-5 and its receptor are suitable targets for selective biologic drugs which can play a key role in add-on treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma refractory to corticosteroids. Within such a context, the anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibodies mepolizumab and reslizumab have been developed and approved for biological therapy of uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma. In this regard, on the basis of several successful randomized controlled trials, the anti-IL-5 receptor benralizumab has also recently obtained the approval from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA.

Understanding mild persistent asthma in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bisgaard, Hans; Szefler, Stanley J

2005-01-01

Limitations in asthma prevalence studies and difficulties in diagnosing pediatric asthma lead to uncertainty over the full extent of mild persistent asthma in children and adolescents. Although recent surveys have reported that the majority of pediatric patients with asthma in the United States...... and Europe have symptoms consistent with mild disease, these surveys have limitations in design. Thus, the true prevalence of mild asthma remains unknown. It is unclear whether children with mild persistent asthma progress to more severe asthma, but the risk of severe asthma exacerbations seems...... to be unrelated to the symptom severity. Clinical studies restricted to pediatric patients with mild asthma are limited, but available data do suggest substantial morbidity of mild persistent asthma in this population and support inhaled corticosteroid intervention. There is a need for further investigation...

Regional Ventilation Changes in Severe Asthma after Bronchial Thermoplasty with 3He MR Imaging and CT

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Thomen, Robert P.; Sheshadri, Ajay; Quirk, James D.; Kozlowski, Jim; Ellison, Henry D.; Szczesniak, Rhonda D.; Castro, Mario

2015-01-01

Purpose To quantify regional lung ventilation in healthy volunteers and patients with severe asthma (both before and after thermoplasty) by using a combination of helium 3 (3He) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT), with the intention of developing more effective image-guided treatments for obstructive lung diseases. Materials and Methods With approval of the local institutional review board, informed consent, and an Investigational New Drug Exemption, six healthy volunteers and 10 patients with severe asthma were imaged in compliance with HIPAA regulations by using both multidetector CT and 3He MR imaging. Individual bronchopulmonary segments were labeled voxel by voxel from the CT images and then registered to the 3He MR images by using custom software. The 3He signal intensity was then analyzed by evaluating the volume-weighted fraction of total-lung signal intensity present in each segment (segmental ventilation percentage [SVPsegmental ventilation percentage]) and by identifying the whole-lung defect percentage and the segmental defect percentage. Of the 10 patients with asthma, seven received treatment with bronchial thermoplasty and were imaged with 3He MR a second time. Changes in segmental defect percentages and whole-lung defect percentages are presented. Results Ventilation measures for healthy volunteers yielded smaller segment-to-segment variation (mean SVPsegmental ventilation percentage, 100% ± 18 [standard deviation]) than did the measures for patients with severe asthma (mean SVPsegmental ventilation percentage, 97% ± 23). Patients with asthma also demonstrated larger segmental defect percentages (median, 13.5%; interquartile range, 8.9%–17.8%) than healthy volunteers (median, 6%; interquartile range, 5.6%–6.3%). These quantitative results confirm what is visually observed on the 3He images. A Spearman correlation of r = −0.82 was found between the change in whole-lung defect percentage and the number of days between

Detrimental effects of environmental tobacco smoke in relation to asthma severity.

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Suzy A A Comhair

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS has adverse effects on the health of asthmatics, however the harmful consequences of ETS in relation to asthma severity are unknown.In a multicenter study of severe asthma, we assessed the impact of ETS exposure on morbidity, health care utilization and lung functions; and activity of systemic superoxide dismutase (SOD, a potential oxidative target of ETS that is negatively associated with asthma severity.From 2002-2006, 654 asthmatics (non-severe 366, severe 288 were enrolled, among whom 109 non-severe and 67 severe asthmatics were routinely exposed to ETS as ascertained by history and validated by urine cotinine levels. ETS-exposure was associated with lower quality of life scores; greater rescue inhaler use; lower lung function; greater bronchodilator responsiveness; and greater risk for emergency room visits, hospitalization and intensive care unit admission. ETS-exposure was associated with lower levels of serum SOD activity, particularly in asthmatic women of African heritage.ETS-exposure of asthmatic individuals is associated with worse lung function, higher acuity of exacerbations, more health care utilization, and greater bronchial hyperreactivity. The association of diminished systemic SOD activity to ETS exposure provides for the first time a specific oxidant mechanism by which ETS may adversely affect patients with asthma.

Low-grade disease activity in early life precedes childhood asthma and allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chawes, Bo Lund Krogsgaard

2016-08-01

neonates is associated with wheezing and asthma proneness, but it is unknown if such host factor also confers a risk of acute bronchiolitis, which is considered an index event of asthma persisting into school age. In paper VI, we investigated neonatal forced flow, volume, and responsiveness to methacholine in relation to occurrence of acute severe bronchiolitis at age 0-2 years. Children developing bronchiolitis had a 2.5-fold increased bronchial responsiveness as neonates (VI) suggesting a preexisting joint propensity of the airways to react adversely to common respiratory viruses and to develop asthma. This finding proposes airway hyperresponsiveness as yet another marker of low-grade disease activity among asymptomatic neonates on a trajectory towards childhood asthma. In paper VII, we examined whether neonates with impaired pulmonary capacity also had signs of systemic inflammation prior to clinical symptoms. Reduced FEV0.5 was significantly associated with elevated serum hs-CRP and other blood inflammatory markers (VII) suggesting presence of systemic low-grade inflammation from the beginning of life. Chronic low-grade inflammation is a common nominator of virtually all the major non-communicable welfare diseases (NCDs) of modernity whereof asthma and allergies are the earliest debuting disorders. The novel finding of systemic low-grade inflammation among neonates at increased risk of asthma and allergy, therefore implies that exploring the origins of asthma and allergy may also unravel disease mechanisms involved in other NCDs. In conclusion, the series of papers presented in this thesis (I-VII) evidence the presence of a pre-symptomatic disease process measurable in several body compartments, which supports the notion of low-grade disease activity in early life as a generic trait among neonates developing asthma and allergy. This hypothesis piggybacking on single biomarker assessments could be enforced and refined by applying novel global omics approaches. In

Examining Profiles of Family Functioning in Pediatric Asthma: Longitudinal Associations With Child Adjustment and Asthma Severity.

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Al G Hriwati, Nour; Winter, Marcia A; Everhart, Robin S

2017-05-01

Identify profiles of functioning in families of children with asthma and examine whether profile membership predicts subsequent child mental and physical well-being. Primary caregivers and children ( N  = 1,030) from the Childhood Asthma Management Program completed questionnaires assessing family functioning and child adaptation at five time points. Asthma severity was also assessed via spirometry. Latent profile analyses identified a four-profile solution as best fitting the data: cohesive, permissive, controlling/disengaged, and controlling/enmeshed families. Distal outcome analyses using Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars techniques suggested that children from families that were more cohesive had fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms. These associations remained stable across time. Family profiles did not differ with regards to child asthma severity. Results highlight the importance of looking beyond the effects of distinct components of family functioning and instead using pattern-based approaches. Recommendations for incorporating screenings and services for families in pediatric care settings are provided. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Tiotropium Bromide in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Bronchial Asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarado-Gonzalez, Alcibey; Arce, Isabel

2015-11-01

Inhaled bronchodilators are the mainstay of pharmacological treatment for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including β2-agonists and muscarinic antagonists. Tiotropium bromide, a long-acting antimuscarinic bronchodilator (LAMA), is a treatment choice for moderate-to-severe COPD; its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in recent trials. Studies also point to a beneficial role of tiotropium in the treatment of difficult-to-control asthma and a potential function in the asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). Combination of different bronchodilator molecules and addition of inhaled corticosteroids are viable therapeutic alternatives. A condensation of the latest trials and the rationale behind these therapies will be presented in this article.

Airway disease: similarities and differences between asthma, COPD and bronchiectasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Athanazio

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Airway diseases are highly prevalent worldwide; however, the prevalence of these diseases is underestimated. Although these diseases present several common characteristics, they have different clinical outcomes. The differentiation between asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis in the early stage of disease is extremely important for the adoption of appropriate therapeutic measures. However, because of the high prevalence of these diseases and the common pathophysiological pathways, some patients with different diseases may present with similar symptoms. The objective of this review is to highlight the similarities and differences between these diseases in terms of the risk factors, pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

Lower prevalence and greater severity of asthma in hot and dry climate

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Marco Aurélio de Valois Correia Junior

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To estimate asthma prevalence, severity, and associated factors in adolescents who live in a low relative humidity environment. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, adolescents aged 13–14 years from the city of Petrolina located in the Brazilian semiarid region answered the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC questionnaire. The possible explanatory variables of the study were gender, family income, mother's education, smokers in the household, parental history of asthma, personal history of allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, and physical activity level. Poisson regression analysis was used to assess the association between asthma and the explanatory variables. Results: A total of 1591 adolescents participated in the study, of whom 49.7% were male. The prevalence of active asthma, severe asthma, and physician-diagnosed asthma were 14.0%, 10.4%, and 17.8%, respectively. Adolescents with asthma missed more school days than their peers (33 vs. 22 days/year; p < 0.03. Associated factors that remained significant after adjustment were history of asthma in parents (PR = 2.65, p < 0.001 and personal diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (PR = 1.96, p < 0.001 and/or atopic dermatitis (PR = 2.18, p < 0.001. Conclusion: Asthma prevalence in this low-humidity environment was lower, but more severe than those reported in other Brazilian cities. The dry climate might hamper disease control and this may have contributed to the higher school absenteeism observed. The association of asthma with allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis as well as a history of asthma in parents suggests that atopy is an important risk factor for asthma in this population. Resumo: Objetivo: Estimar a prevalência, a gravidade e os fatores associados à asma em adolescentes que vivem em uma região de baixa umidade relativa do ar. Métodos: Estudo transversal em adolescentes de 13 e 14 anos do semiárido brasileiro. Os

Sevoflurane therapy for life-threatening acute severe asthma: a case report.

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Ruszkai, Zoltán; Bokrétás, Gergely Péter; Bartha, Péter Töhötöm

2014-10-01

Acute severe asthma is a life-threatening form of bronchial constriction in which the progressively worsening airway obstruction is unresponsive to the usual appropriate bronchodilator therapy. Pathophysiological changes restrict airflow, which leads to premature closure of the airway on expiration, impaired gas exchange, and dynamic hyperinflation ("air-trapping"). Additionally, patients suffering from asthma for a prolonged period of time usually have serious comorbidities. These conditions constitute a challenge during the treatment of this disease. Therapeutic interventions are designed to reduce airway resistance and improve respiratory status. To achieve therapeutic goals, appropriate bronchodilator treatment is indispensable, and mechanical ventilation under adequate sedation may also be required. The volatile anesthetic agent, sevoflurane, meets both criteria; therefore, its use can be beneficial and should be considered. A 67-yr-old Caucasian male presented with acute life-threatening asthma provoked by an assumed upper airway infection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug antipyretics, complicated by chronic atrial fibrillation and hemodynamic instability. Due to frequent premature ventricular contractions, conventional treatment was considered unsafe and discontinued, and sevoflurane inhalation was initiated via the AnaConDa (Anaesthetic Conserving Device). Symptoms of life-threatening bronchospasm resolved, and the patient's respiratory status improved within hours. Adequate sedation was also achieved without any hemodynamic adverse effects. The volatile anesthetic agent, sevoflurane, is used widely in anesthesia practice. Its utility for treatment of refractory bronchospasm has been appreciated for years; however, its administration was difficult within the environment of the intensive care unit due to the need for an anesthesia machine and a scavenging system. The introduction of the AnaConDa eliminates these obstacles and makes the use of

Omalizumab in Japanese children with severe allergic asthma uncontrolled with standard therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Odajima, Hiroshi; Ebisawa, Motohiro; Nagakura, Toshikazu; Fujisawa, Takao; Akasawa, Akira; Ito, Komei; Doi, Satoru; Yamaguchi, Koichi; Katsunuma, Toshio; Kurihara, Kazuyuki; Kondo, Naomi; Sugai, Kazuko; Nambu, Mitsuhiko; Hoshioka, Akira; Yoshihara, Shigemi; Sato, Norio; Seko, Noriko; Nishima, Sankei

2015-10-01

Omalizumab has demonstrated clinical benefits in children with moderate to severe allergic asthma. However, no studies have been performed in Japanese asthmatic children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy including free IgE suppression and safety of omalizumab in Japanese children with severe allergic asthma. The primary objective was to examine whether omalizumab decreases serum free IgE levels to less than 25 ng/ml (target level of suppression). Thirty-eight Japanese children (6-15 years) with uncontrolled severe allergic asthma despite inhaled corticosteroids (>200 μg/day fluticasone propionate or equivalent) and two or more controller therapies received add-on treatment with omalizumab in a 24-week, multicenter, uncontrolled, open-label study. The geometric mean serum free IgE level at 24 weeks was 15.6 ng/mL. Compared with baseline, total asthma symptom scores, daily activity scores and nocturnal sleep scores at 24 weeks were significantly improved. The rates of asthma exacerbation and hospitalization due to asthma were reduced by 69.2% and 78.2%, respectively (p omalizumab decreased free IgE levels to less than 25 ng/mL. Omalizumab improved asthma control and was well-tolerated, as well. Copyright © 2015 Japanese Society of Allergology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Interleukin 13 Polymorphism Is Associated with Symptom Severity in Adult Subjects with Ever Asthma.

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Simone Accordini

Full Text Available Different genes are associated with categorical classifications of asthma severity. However, continuous outcomes should be used to catch the heterogeneity of asthma phenotypes and to increase the power in association studies. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in candidate gene regions and continuous measures of asthma severity, in adult patients from the general population. In the Gene Environment Interactions in Respiratory Diseases (GEIRD study (www.geird.org, 326 subjects (aged 20-64 with ever asthma were identified from the general population in Verona (Italy between 2007 and 2010. A panel of 236 SNPs tagging 51 candidate gene regions (including one or more genes was analysed. A symptom and treatment score (STS and pre-bronchodilator FEV1% predicted were used as continuous measures of asthma severity. The association of each SNP with STS and FEV1% predicted was tested by fitting quasi-gamma and linear regression models, respectively, with gender, body mass index and smoking habits as potential confounders. The Simes multiple-test procedure was used for controlling the false discovery rate (FDR. SNP rs848 in the IL13 gene region (IL5/RAD50/IL13/IL4 was associated with STS (TG/GG vs TT genotype: uncorrected p-value = 0.00006, FDR-corrected p-value = 0.04, whereas rs20541 in the same gene region, in linkage disequilibrium with rs848 (r(2 = 0.94 in our sample, did not reach the statistical significance after adjusting for multiple testing (TC/CC vs TT: uncorrected p-value = 0.0003, FDR-corrected p-value = 0.09. Polymorphisms in other gene regions showed a non-significant moderate association with STS (IL12B, TNS1 or lung function (SERPINE2, GATA3, IL5, NPNT, FAM13A only. After adjusting for multiple testing and potential confounders, SNP rs848 in the IL13 gene region is significantly associated with a continuous measure of symptom severity in adult subjects with ever

Arginase 1 and arginase 2 variations associate with asthma, asthma severity and beta(2) agonist and steroid response

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vonk, Judith M.; Postma, Dirkje S.; Maarsingh, Harm; Bruinenberg, Marcel; Koppelman, Gerard H.; Meurs, Herman

Rationale Arginase probably plays an important role in asthma development, severity and progression. Polymorphisms in arginase 1 and arginase 2 genes have been associated with childhood asthma and FEV1 reversibility to beta(2) agonists. Objectives We investigated the association between arginase 1

[Diseases to differentiate from COPD, with emphasis on bronchial asthma].

Science.gov (United States)

Kanazawa, Minoru

2007-04-01

Differential diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from asthma is not a difficult task for many clinicians. Patients with COPD have a history of heavy smoking and show a slowly progressive dyspnea on exertion and there is little variability in symptoms, and they show a poor response to bronchodilators and corticosteroids. Asthma usually begins in early childhood with atopy, shows episodic dyspnea with wheezing, especially during night and early morning. Some patients, however, show adult onset, irreversible airflow limitation, and neutrophilic airway inflammation. The airway remodeling in asthma may be the cause of confusing pathophysiology. Other diseases showing airway hyperresponsiveness, such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, and left heart failure presenting cardiac asthma, may sometimes show similar clinical pictures to COPD. Chronic airway diseases are also possible candidates for differential diagnosis of COPD. Bronchiectasis, sinobronchial syndrome, diffuse panbronchiolitis, obliterative bronchiolitis, and other chronic airway diseases should be considered. Some interstitial lung diseases, such as smoking-related interstitial lung diseases and lymphangioleiomyomatosis, often show obstructive ventilatory impairment, and therefore should be considered in differential diagnosis of COPD.

Respiratory reviews in asthma 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae-Hyung

2014-03-01

From January 2012 up until March 2013, many articles with huge clinical importance in asthma were published based on large numbered clinical trials or meta-analysis. The main subjects of these studies were the new therapeutic plan based on the asthma phenotype or efficacy along with the safety issues regarding the current treatment guidelines. For efficacy and safety issues, inhaled corticosteroid tapering strategy or continued long-acting beta agonists use was the major concern. As new therapeutic trials, monoclonal antibodies or macrolide antibiotics based on inflammatory phenotypes have been under investigation, with promising preliminary results. There were other issues on the disease susceptibility or genetic background of asthma, particularly for the "severe asthma" phenotype. In the era of genome and pharmacogenetics, there have been extensive studies to identify susceptible candidate genes based on the results of genome wide association studies (GWAS). However, for severe asthma, which is where most of the mortality or medical costs develop, it is very unclear. Moreover, there have been some efforts to find important genetic information in order to predict the possible disease progression, but with few significant results up until now. In conclusion, there are new on-going aspects in the phenotypic classification of asthma and therapeutic strategy according to the phenotypic variations. With more pharmacogenomic information and clear identification of the "severe asthma" group even before disease progression from GWAS data, more adequate and individualized therapeutic strategy could be realized in the future.

The Medical Home Model and Pediatric Asthma Symptom Severity: Evidence from a National Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojanasarot, Sirikan; Carlson, Angeline M

2018-04-01

The objective was to investigate the association between receiving care under the medical home model and parental assessment of the severity of asthma symptoms. It was hypothesized that parents of children who received care under the medical home model reported less severe asthma symptoms compared with their counterparts, whose care did not meet the medical home criteria. Secondary analyses were conducted using cross-sectional data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. Children with asthma aged 0-17 years were included and classified as receiving care from the medical home if their care contained 5 components: a personal doctor, a usual source of sick care, family-centered care, no problems getting referrals, and effective care coordination. Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between parent-rated severity of asthma symptoms (mild, moderate, and severe symptoms) and the medical home. Approximately 52% of 8229 children who reported having asthma received care from the medical home. Only 30.8% of children with severe asthma symptoms received care that met the medical home criteria, compared to 55.7% of children with mild symptoms. After accounting for confounding factors, obtaining care under the medical home model decreased the odds of parent-reported severe asthma symptoms by 31% (adjusted odds ratio 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.85). Study results suggest that the medical home model can reduce parent-rated severity of asthma symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of providing medical home care to children with asthma to improve the outcomes that matter most to children and their families.

The public health implications of asthma.

OpenAIRE

Bousquet, Jean; Bousquet, Philippe J.; Godard, Philippe; Daures, Jean-Pierre

2005-01-01

Asthma is a very common chronic disease that occurs in all age groups and is the focus of various clinical and public health interventions. Both morbidity and mortality from asthma are significant. The number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to asthma worldwide is similar to that for diabetes, liver cirrhosis and schizophrenia. Asthma management plans have, however, reduced mortality and severity in countries where they have been applied. Several barriers reduce the availabi...

Appropriate selection for omalizumab treatment in patients with severe asthma?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nygaard, Leo; Henriksen, Daniel Pilsgaard; Madsen, Hanne

2017-01-01

Background: Omalizumab improves asthma control in patients with uncontrolled severe allergic asthma; however, appropriate patient selection is crucial. Information in this field is sparse. Objective: We aimed to estimate whether potential omalizumab candidates were appropriately selected according...... to guidelines, and the clinical effect of omalizumab treatment over time. Design: We performed a retrospective observational study on adult patients with asthma treated with omalizumab during 2006-2015 at the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Odense University Hospital (OUH), Denmark. Data were obtained...... from the Electronic Patient Journal of OUH and Odense Pharmaco-Epidemiological Database. Guideline criteria for omalizumab treatment were used to evaluate the appropriateness of omalizumab candidate selection, and the Asthma Control Test (ACT) to assess the clinical effects of omalizumab at weeks 16...

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Omalizumab for the Treatment of Severe Persistent Asthma in Real Clinical Practice in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Vennera, María Del Carmen; Valero, Antonio; Uría, Estefany; Forné, Carles; Picado, César

2016-07-01

Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets circulating immunoglobulin E molecules to treat severe uncontrolled asthma. The aim of this study was to determine the cost effectiveness of omalizumab compared with standard treatment for the control of severe persistent asthma according to data from patients treated in a specialized asthma unit. This was an observational, retrospective, single-center study in the setting of the Pulmonology and Respiratory Allergy Service, Thorax Institute, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Data were collected by review of medical records of 86 uncontrolled severe persistent asthma patients treated with omalizumab from January 2005 to April 2014. Effectiveness was assessed by the reduction in asthma exacerbations and 3-point increases in the Asthma Control Test (ACT) score. The economic evaluation was performed from the societal perspective, including direct health costs (resource use and drug treatments) and indirect costs (disease impact on labor productivity) in 2016 Euros. The time horizon was 12 months before and after the initiation of treatment with omalizumab. Results were expressed using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Taking into account only direct costs, the ICERs were €1487.46 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1241.21-1778.34) per exacerbation avoided and €5425.13 (95 % CI 4539.30-6551.03) per 3-point increase in the ACT. When indirect costs were included, the ICERs were €1130.93 (95 % CI 909.08-1392.86) per exacerbation avoided, and €4124.79 (95 % CI 3281.69-5186.73) per 3-point increase in the ACT. The results of this study confirm the effectiveness of the addition of omalizumab to standard therapy in patients with uncontrolled severe persistent asthma.

Advances in asthma 2015: Across the lifespan.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Andrew H; Anderson, William C; Dutmer, Cullen M; Searing, Daniel A; Szefler, Stanley J

2016-08-01

In 2015, progress in understanding asthma ranged from insights to asthma inception, exacerbations, and severity to advancements that will improve disease management throughout the lifespan. 2015's insights to asthma inception included how the intestinal microbiome affects asthma expression with the identification of specific gastrointestinal bacterial taxa in early infancy associated with less asthma risk, possibly by promoting regulatory immune development at a critical early age. The relevance of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating asthma-related gene expression was strengthened. Predicting and preventing exacerbations throughout life might help to reduce progressive lung function decrease and disease severity in adulthood. Although allergy has long been linked to asthma exacerbations, a mechanism through which IgE impairs rhinovirus immunity and underlies asthma exacerbations was demonstrated and improved by anti-IgE therapy (omalizumab). Other key molecular pathways underlying asthma exacerbations, such as cadherin-related family member 3 (CDHR3) and orosomucoid like 3 (ORMDL3), were elucidated. New anti-IL-5 therapeutics, mepolizumab and reslizumab, were US Food and Drug Administration approved for the treatment of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. In a clinical trial the novel therapeutic inhaled GATA3 mRNA-specific DNAzyme attenuated early- and late-phase allergic responses to inhaled allergen. These current findings are significant steps toward addressing unmet needs in asthma prevention, severity modification, disparities, and lifespan outcomes. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative effectiveness of mepolizumab and omalizumab in severe asthma: An indirect treatment comparison.

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Cockle, Sarah M; Stynes, Gillian; Gunsoy, Necdet B; Parks, Daniel; Alfonso-Cristancho, Rafael; Wex, Jaro; Bradford, Eric S; Albers, Frank C; Willson, Jenny

2017-02-01

Severe asthma is a heterogeneous disease. Patients with both eosinophilic and allergic asthma phenotypes may be eligible for treatment with mepolizumab and omalizumab. Evidence on the relative effectiveness of these treatments in this 'overlap' population would be informative for clinical and payer decision making. A systematic literature review and indirect treatment comparison (Bayesian framework) were performed to assess the comparative effectiveness and tolerability of mepolizumab and omalizumab, as add-ons to standard of care. Studies included in the primary analysis were double-blind, randomized controlled trials, ≥12 weeks' duration enrolling patients with severe asthma with a documented exacerbation history and receiving high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus ≥1 additional controller. Two populations were examined: patients potentially eligible for 1) both treatments (Overlap population) and 2) either treatment (Trial population). In the Overlap population, no differences between treatments in clinically significant exacerbations and exacerbations requiring hospitalization were found, although trends favored mepolizumab (rate ratio [RR]:0.66 [95% credible intervals (Crl):0.37,1.19]; 0.19[0.02,2.32], respectively). In the Trial population, mepolizumab treatment produced greater reductions in clinically significant exacerbations (RR:0.63 [95% CrI:0.45,0.89]) but not exacerbations requiring hospitalization compared with omalizumab (RR:0.58 [95% Crl: 0.16,2.13]), although the trend favored mepolizumab. Both treatments had broadly comparable effects on lung function, and similar tolerability profiles. Whilst this analysis has limitations due to a restricted evidence base and residual heterogeneity, it showed that in patients with severe asthma, mepolizumab seems to be at least as effective as omalizumab and that the tolerability profiles of the two treatments did not meaningfully differentiate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biologic Therapy and Asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Viswanathan, Ravi K; Busse, William W

2018-02-01

Although airway inflammation is an intrinsic and key feature of asthma, this response varies in its intensity and translation to clinical characteristics and responsiveness to treatment. The observations that clinical heterogeneity is an important aspect of asthma and a feature that likely dictates and determines responses to treatment in severe asthma, patient responsiveness to medication is incomplete, and risks for exacerbation are increased. The development of biologics, which target selected and specific components of inflammation, has been a promising advance to achieve asthma control in patients with severe disease. This article reviews the current biologics available and under development and how their use has affected asthma and which subpopulations appear to benefit the greatest. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Metabolic syndrome and asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Garmendia, Jenny V; Moreno, Dolores; Garcia, Alexis H; De Sanctis, Juan B

2014-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a syndrome that involves at least three disorders dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, obesity and/or hypertension. MetS has been associated with several chronic diseases in the adulthood; however, in the recent years, the syndrome was redefined in children. Girls with early menarche and asthma, and children with MetS and asthma that reach adulthood appear to have higher risk to develop severe or difficult to control asthma and a higher probability to suffer cardiovascular diseases. It has been proposed that patients with MetS and endocrinological disorders should be considered a different entity in which pharmacologic treatment should be adjusted according to the individual. Recent patents on the field have addressed new issues on how endocrine control should be managed along with asthma therapeutics. In the near future, new approaches should decrease the high morbidity and mortality associated to these types of patients.

Asthma is a risk factor for acute chest syndrome and cerebral vascular accidents in children with sickle cell disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Paul J

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Asthma and sickle cell disease are common conditions that both may result in pulmonary complications. We hypothesized that children with sickle cell disease with concomitant asthma have an increased incidence of vaso-occlusive crises that are complicated by episodes of acute chest syndrome. Methods A 5-year retrospective chart analysis was performed investigating 48 children ages 3–18 years with asthma and sickle cell disease and 48 children with sickle cell disease alone. Children were matched for age, gender, and type of sickle cell defect. Hospital admissions were recorded for acute chest syndrome, cerebral vascular accident, vaso-occlusive pain crises, and blood transfusions (total, exchange and chronic. Mann-Whitney test and Chi square analysis were used to assess differences between the groups. Results Children with sickle cell disease and asthma had significantly more episodes of acute chest syndrome (p = 0.03 and cerebral vascular accidents (p = 0.05 compared to children with sickle cell disease without asthma. As expected, these children received more total blood transfusions (p = 0.01 and chronic transfusions (p = 0.04. Admissions for vasoocclusive pain crises and exchange transfusions were not statistically different between cases and controls. SS disease is more severe than SC disease. Conclusions Children with concomitant asthma and sickle cell disease have increased episodes of acute chest syndrome, cerebral vascular accidents and the need for blood transfusions. Whether aggressive asthma therapy can reduce these complications in this subset of children is unknown and requires further studies.

GENE EXPRESSION DYNAMICS IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE THERAPY-RESISTANT ASTHMA DURING TREATMENT PERIOD

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Ye. S. Kulikov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The leading mechanisms and causes of severe therapy resistant asthma are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to define global patterns of gene expression in adults with severe therapy-resistant asthma in dynamic during treatment period.Methods: Performed 24-week prospective interventional study in parallel groups. Severe asthma patients was aposterior divided at therapy sensitive and resistant patients according to ATS criteria. Global transcriptome profile was characterized using the Affymetrix HuGene ST1.0 chip. Cluster analysis was performed.Results and conclusion: According to our data several mechanisms of therapy resistance may be considered: increased levels of nitric oxide and beta2-agonists nitration, dysregulation of endogenous steroids secretion and involvement in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus. Absence of suppression of gene expression KEGG-pathway “asthma" may reflect the low efficiency or long period of anti-inflammatory therapy effect realization.

Mode of dendritic cell activation: the decisive hand in Th2/Th17 cell differentiation. Implications in asthma severity?

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Vroman, Heleen; van den Blink, Bernt; Kool, Mirjam

2015-02-01

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, with reversible airflow limitations and airway remodeling. The classification of asthma phenotypes was initially based on different combinations of clinical symptoms, but they are now unfolding to link biology to phenotype. As such, patients can suffer from a predominant eosinophilic, neutrophilic or even mixed eosinophilic/neutrophilic inflammatory response. In adult asthma patients, eosinophilic inflammation is usually seen in mild-to-moderate disease and neutrophilic inflammation in more severe disease. The underlying T cell response is predominated by T helper (Th) 2, Th17, or a mixed Th2/Th17 cell immune response. Dendritic cells (DCs) are "professional" antigen presenting cells (APCs), since their principal function is to present antigens and induce a primary immune response in resting naive T cells. DCs also drive the differentiation into distinctive Th subsets. The expression of co-stimulatory molecules and cytokines by DCs and surrounding cells determines the outcome of Th cell differentiation. The nature of DC activation will determine the expression of specific co-stimulatory molecules and cytokines, specifically needed for induction of the different Th cell programs. Thus DC activation is crucial for the subsequent effector Th immune responses. In this review, we will discuss underlying mechanisms that initiate DC activation in favor of Th2 differentiation versus Th1/Th17 and Th17 differentiation in the development of mild versus moderate to severe asthma. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The public health implications of asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Bousquet, Jean; Bousquet, Philippe J; Godard, Philippe; Daures, Jean-Pierre

2005-07-01

Asthma is a very common chronic disease that occurs in all age groups and is the focus of various clinical and public health interventions. Both morbidity and mortality from asthma are significant. The number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to asthma worldwide is similar to that for diabetes, liver cirrhosis and schizophrenia. Asthma management plans have, however, reduced mortality and severity in countries where they have been applied. Several barriers reduce the availability, affordability, dissemination and efficacy of optimal asthma management plans in both developed and developing countries. The workplace environment contributes significantly to the general burden of asthma. Patients with occupational asthma have higher rates of hospitalization and mortality than healthy workers. The surveillance of asthma as part of a global WHO programme is essential. The economic cost of asthma is considerable both in terms of direct medical costs (such as hospital admissions and the cost of pharmaceuticals) and indirect medical costs (such as time lost from work and premature death). Direct costs are significant in most countries. In order to reduce costs and improve quality of care, employers and health plans are exploring more precisely targeted ways of controlling rapidly rising health costs. Poor control of asthma symptoms is a major issue that can result in adverse clinical and economic outcomes. A model of asthma costs is needed to aid attempts to reduce them while permitting optimal management of the disease. This paper presents a discussion of the burden of asthma and its socioeconomic implications and proposes a model to predict the costs incurred by the disease.

Adult-onset eosinophilic asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Groot, J.C.

2017-01-01

In the last decades, it has been recognized that asthma is not a single disease, but comprises several clinical syndromes, which all share respiratory symptoms and lung function abnormalities, associated with different types of airway inflammation. These syndromes are now known as different asthma

Airway inflammatory response to ozone in subjects with different asthma severity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vagaggini, B.; Carnevali, S.; Macchioni, P. [Univ. of Pisa, Cardio-Thoracic Dept., Respiratory patho-physiology (IT)] (and others)

1999-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether ozone exposure induces a similar airway inflammatory response in subjects with different degrees of asthma severity. Two groups of asthmatic subjects were studied: seven with intermittent mild asthma not requiring regular treatment (group A); and seven with persistent mild asthma requiring regular treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting {beta}{sub 2}-agonists (group B). All subjects were exposed, in a randomized cross-over design, to air or O{sub 3} (0.26 parts per million (ppm) for 2 h with intermittent exercise); subjects in group B withdrew from regular treatment 72 h before each exposure. Before the exposure, and 1 and 2 h after the beginning of the exposure they performed a pulmonary function test, and a questionnaire was completed to obtain a total symptom score (TSS). Six hours after the end of the exposure, hypertonic saline (HS) sputum induction was conducted. Sputum cell percentages, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and interleukin (IL)-8 concentrations in the sputum supernatant were measured. TSS significantly increased and forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) significantly decreased after O{sub 3} exposure in comparison with air exposure in group A, whereas no changes were observed in group B except for a significant decrement of FEV1 2 h after the beginning of O{sub 3} exposure. Sputum neutrophil percentage was significantly higher after O{sub 3} exposure than after air exposure in both groups (Group A: 70.2% (28-87) versus 26.6% (8.6-73.2); Group B: 62.1% (25-82.4) versus 27.9% (14.4-54)). IL-8 was higher in sputum supernatant collected 6 h after O{sub 3} exposure than after air, only in group A. No change due to O{sub 3} has been found in sputum eosinophil percentage and ECP concentration in both groups. In conclusion, the degree of airway response to a short-term exposure to ozone is different in subjects with asthma of different severity. The

The burden of severe asthma in childhood and adolescence: results from the paediatric U-BIOPRED cohorts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fleming, Louise; Murray, Clare; Bansal, Aruna T.; Hashimoto, Simone; Bisgaard, Hans; Bush, Andrew; Frey, Urs; Hedlin, Gunilla; Singer, Florian; van Aalderen, Wim M.; Vissing, Nadja H.; Zolkipli, Zaraquiza; Selby, Anna; Fowler, Stephen; Shaw, Dominick; Chung, Kian Fan; Sousa, Ana R.; Wagers, Scott; Corfield, Julie; Pandis, Ioannis; Rowe, Anthony; Formaggio, Elena; Sterk, Peter J.; Roberts, Graham; Tariq, Kamran; Dennison, Patrick; Behndig, Annelie F.; Lutter, Rene; Wagener, Ariane; van Drunen, Kees; Hekking, Pieter-Paul; Brinkman, Paul; Zwinderman, Koos; Mores, Nadia; Santini, Giuseppe; Valente, Salvatore; Rossios, Christos; Gibeon, David; Hoda, Uruj; Rocha, João Pedro Carvalho da Purificação; Sogbesan, Adesimbo; Gent, Julaiha; Menzies-Gow, Andrew; Campagna, Davide; Bigler, Jeannette; Boedigheimer, Michael J.; Yu, Wen; Hu, Xugang; Fichtner, Klaus; Nething, Katja

2015-01-01

U-BIOPRED aims to characterise paediatric and adult severe asthma using conventional and innovative systems biology approaches. A total of 99 school-age children with severe asthma and 81 preschoolers with severe wheeze were compared with 49 school-age children with mild/moderate asthma and 53

Overlap Syndrome in Respiratory Medicine: Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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Alexandru Corlateanu

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD are highly prevalent chronic diseases in the general population. Both are characterized by similar mechanisms: airway inflammation, airway obstruction, and airway hyperresponsiveness. However, the distinction between the two obstructive diseases is not always clear. Multiple epidemiological studies demonstrate that in elderly people with obstructive airway disease, as many as half or more may have overlapping diagnoses of asthma and COPD. A COPD-Asthma overlap syndrome is defined as an airflow obstruction that is not completely reversible, accompanied by symptoms and signs of increased obstruction reversibility. For the clinical identification of overlap syndrome COPD-Asthma Spanish guidelines proposed six diagnostic criteria. The major criteria include very positive bronchodilator test [increase in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1 ≥15% and ≥400 ml], eosinophilia in sputum, and personal history of asthma. The minor criteria include high total IgE, personal history of atopy and positive bronchodilator test (increase in FEV1 ≥12% and ≥200 ml on two or more occasions. The overlap syndrome COPD-Asthma is associated with enhanced response to inhaled corticosteroids due to the predominance of eosinophilic bronchial inflammation.The future clinical studies and multicenter clinical trials should lead to the investigation of disease mechanisms and simultaneous development of the novel treatment.

Breastfeeding, Childhood Asthma, and Allergic Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Oddy, Wendy H

2017-01-01

The worldwide prevalence of childhood asthma has been increasing considerably, and the protection afforded by breastfeeding in its development has been the subject of controversy for more than 80 years. Previous systematic reviews have generally found a protective effect of breastfeeding on allergic outcomes, although many studies have methodological limitations. Although breastfeeding is protective against lower respiratory tract infection during infancy, such protection has not been demonstrated for asthma in all studies. Breastfeeding has health benefits for the mother and child. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of an infant's life, with continued breastfeeding for up to 2 years or longer, is recognized as the "gold" standard for infant feeding because human milk is uniquely suited to the human infant, and its nutritional content and bioactivity promote a healthy development. There is increasing concern that the practice of delaying complementary foods until 6 months may exacerbate the risk of allergic disease. Breast milk contains immunological components that protect against infections and allergic disease in infancy. The composition of human breast milk is complex, containing factors that interact with the infant immune system and intestinal milieu including allergens, cytokines, immunoglobulins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and chemokines. Transforming growth factor β is a cytokine in human milk involved in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, inflammation regulation, and oral tolerance development. Modern day society, with increased standards of hygiene, has changed the gut flora of Western infants, potentially impacting the risk of developing immune-mediated diseases including allergic disease and asthma. Microbial diversity is intrinsic to healthy immune maturation and function. Compared to breastfed infants, formula-fed infants had lower bacterial diversity and an altered intestinal microbiota in the first few weeks of life associated with

Association between severe asthma and changes in the stomatognathic system.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho-Oliveira, Mayra; Salles, Cristina; Terse, Regina; D'Oliveira, Argemiro

2016-01-01

To describe orofacial muscle function in patients with severe asthma. This was a descriptive study comparing patients with severe controlled asthma (SCA) and severe uncontrolled asthma (SUA). We selected 160 patients, who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the 6-item Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-6), as well as undergoing evaluation of orofacial muscle function. Of the 160 patients evaluated, 126 (78.8%) and 34 (21.2%) presented with SCA and SUA, respectively, as defined by the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria. Regardless of the level of asthma control, the most frequent changes found after evaluation of muscle function were difficulty in chewing, oronasal breathing pattern, below-average or poor dental arch condition, and difficulty in swallowing. When the sample was stratified by FEV1 (% of predicted), was significantly higher proportions of SUA group patients, compared with SCA group patients, showed habitual open-mouth chewing (24.8% vs. 7.7%; p de controle da asma grave, as alterações mais frequentes observadas na avaliação miofuncional foram problemas de mastigação, padrão de respiração oronasal, estado de conservação da arcada dentária médio ou ruim e problemas na deglutição. Quando a amostra foi estratificada pelo VEF1 (% do previsto), os resultados foram significativamente maiores no grupo AGNC que no grupo AGC quanto a mastigação habitual com boca aberta (24,8% vs. 7,7%; p de água com dificuldade (33,7% vs. 17,3%; p de voz (81,2% vs. 51,9%; p resultados do grupo AGNC foram significativamente maiores que no grupo AGC quanto à deglutição de pão com dificuldade (66,6% vs. 26,6%; p de alterações do sistema estomatognático parece ser alta em adultos com asma grave independentemente do nível de controle da doença. No grupo AGNC, algumas dessas alterações foram significativamente mais frequentes que no grupo AGC.

[Investigation of the presence of human metapneumovirus in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma and its relationship with the attacks].

Science.gov (United States)

Ilvan, Ahmet; Aslan, Gönül; Serin, Mehmet Sami; Calıkoğlu, Mukadder; Yılmaz, Fatma Mehtap; Tezcan, Seda; Taş, Dilaver; Ayrık, Cüneyt; Uygungül, Evren; Sezer, Ogün; Emekdaş, Gürol

2013-10-01

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), an enveloped RNA virus classified in Paramyxoviridae family, was first characterized in 2001 from children with acute respiratory tract infection. Recent studies have suggested hMPV to play a role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma attacks. The aims of this study were to investigate the frequency of hMPV in patients with COPD and asthma, its effects on the severity of the attacks and the relationship between demographical and clinical factors. A total of 123 patients, including 66 with COPD (45 were in attack and 21 were stable) and 57 with asthma (33 were in attack and 24 were under control) diagnosed according to the criteria of Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease and the Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, respectively, were included in the study. Nasopharyngeal lavage samples collected from all of the patients have been evaluated for the presence of hMPV-RNA by using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting F gene region of the virus. hMPV-RNA positivity rates in patients with COPD and asthma were observed as 30.3% (20/66) and 31.6% (18/57), respectively, and the difference between the groups were not statistically significant (p= 1.00). When patients were compared according to their disease status, hMPV was detected in 31.1% (14/45) of patients with COPD attack and 28.6% of stable patients (p> 0.05). These rates were found as 36.4% (12/33) and 25% (6/24) in patients with asthma attack and controlled asthma, respectively (p> 0.05). Although the virus detection rates in patients with COPD and asthma attacks (26/78; 33.3%) were higher than the patients with stable/controlled disease (12/45; 26.7%), the difference was not found as statistically significant (p= 0.57). The detection rate of hMPV-RNA was 26.1% in patients who can be treated at home and hospital without any need of intensive care and mechanical ventilation, while this rate was 36

Smoke-free air laws and asthma prevalence, symptoms, and severity among nonsmoking youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Dove, Melanie S; Dockery, Douglas W; Connolly, Gregory N

2011-01-01

We investigated the association between smoke-free laws and asthma prevalence, symptoms, and severity among nonsmoking youth (aged 3-15 years). We examined data from the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey designed to monitor the health and nutritional status of the US population. Survey locations were dichotomized as having or not having at least 1 smoke-free workplace, restaurant, or bar law at the county or state level that covered the entire county population. Asthma prevalence was assessed as self-reported current asthma and as ever having asthma with current symptoms. Asthmatic symptoms included persistent wheeze, chronic night cough, and wheeze-medication use. We also examined asthma severity (asthma attack or emergency-department visit for asthma) and persistent ear infection. Smoke-free laws were not associated with current asthma but were significantly associated with lower odds of asthmatic symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.48-0.93]) among nonsmoking youth. The association between smoke-free laws and ever having asthma with current symptoms approached significance (OR: 0.74 [95% CI: 0.53-1.03]). Smoke-free laws were associated with lower odds of asthma attacks (OR: 0.66 [95% CI: 0.28-1.56]) and emergency-department visits for asthma (OR: 0.55 [95% CI: 0.27-1.13]), although these results were not statistically significant. Our results suggest that smoke-free laws reduce asthmatic symptoms, including persistent wheeze, chronic night cough, and wheeze-medication use in nonsmoking youth.

Children with Asthma and Sports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selda Yuzer

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Asthma is one of the chronic diseases which have are widely seen among the children. The disease has recently been in the increase all over the world and affects many children. In a study conducted with International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC method, it was found out that prevalence of childhood asthma was 17.1%. Participation in sportive activities by the children with asthma, which is today considered as a part of asthma treatment program, makes contributions to their physical, mental and psychological development and increases their quality of life. The most recommended sports for the children with asthma are swimming and water sports. Sports like tennis and volleyball are too advised. Choice of sports depends on severity of asthma, child and #8217;s choice and whether or not asthma is kept under control. Nursing approaches for the children with asthma include correction of symptoms, training of children and their families, assistance with disease adaptation, continuing asthma care at home and interventions to make children lead healthy activities of daily life of children. With protective measures to be taken by families and children; children should be encourage for sportive activities. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2014; 13(3.000: 241-244

Omalizumab for severe asthma: toward personalized treatment based on biomarker profile and clinical history

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tabatabaian F

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Farnaz Tabatabaian, Dennis K Ledford Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA Abstract: Asthma is a heterogeneous syndrome with numerous underlining molecular and inflammatory mechanisms contributing to the wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes. Multiple therapies targeting severe asthma with type 2 (T2 high inflammation are or soon will be available. T2 high inflammation is defined as inflammation associated with atopy or eosinophilia or an increase in cytokines associated with T-helper 2 lymphocytes. Omalizumab is a humanized anti-IgE monoclonal antibody and the first biologic therapy approved for moderate–severe allergic asthma. Despite the specificity of biologic therapies like omalizumab, clinical response is variable, with approximately 50% of treated patients achieving the primary outcome. A prior identification of the ideal candidate for therapy would improve patient outcomes and optimize the use of health care resources. As the number of biologic therapies for asthma increases, the goal is identification of biomarkers or clinical phenotypes likely to respond to a specific therapy. This review focuses on potential biomarkers and clinical history that may identify responders to omalizumab therapy for asthma. Keywords: severe persistent asthma, asthma phenotype and endotype, T2 high inflammation, omalizumab, asthma biomarkers, eosinophils, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, IgE

Overlap Syndrome in Respiratory Medicine: Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

OpenAIRE

Alexandru Corlateanu; Valeria Pripa; Gloria Montanari; Victor Botnaru

2014-01-01

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are highly prevalent chronic diseases in the general population. Both are characterized by similar mechanisms: airway inflammation, airway obstruction, and airway hyperresponsiveness. However, the distinction between the two obstructive diseases is not always clear. Multiple epidemiological studies demonstrate that in elderly people with obstructive airway disease, as many as half or more may have overlapping diagnoses of asthma and COPD...

Improved Guideline Adherence With Integrated Sickle Cell Disease and Asthma Care.

Science.gov (United States)

McClain, Brandi L; Ivy, Zalaya K; Bryant, Valencia; Rodeghier, Mark; DeBaun, Michael R

2016-07-01

In children with sickle cell disease (SCD), concomitant asthma is associated with increased morbidity and mortality when compared with children with SCD without asthma. Despite the well-established burden of asthma in children with SCD, no paradigm of care exists for the co-management of these two diseases. To address this gap, an integrated SCD and asthma clinic was created in a community health center that included (1) a dual respiratory therapist/asthma case manager; (2) an SCD nurse practitioner with asthma educator certification; (3) an onsite pulmonary function test laboratory; (4) a pediatric hematologist with expertise in managing SCD and asthma; and (5) application of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines. A before (2010-2012) and after (2013-2014) study design was used to assess for improved quality of care with implementation of an integrative care model among 61 children with SCD and asthma followed from 2010 to 2014. Asthma action plan utilization after initial diagnosis increased with the integrative care model (n=16, 56% before, 100% after, p=0.003), as did the use of spirometry in children aged ≥5 years (n=41, 65% before, 95% after, pintegrative care model for SCD and asthma improved evidence-based asthma care, longer follow-up and evaluation will be needed to determine the impact on SCD-related morbidity. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Therapy with omalizumab for patients with severe allergic asthma improves asthma control and reduces overall healthcare costs.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Costello, R W

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: Patients with asthma who have persistent symptoms despite treatment with inhaled steroids and long-acting beta agonists are considered to have severe asthma. Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against IgE, which is used as an add-on treatment for patients who have severe persistent allergic asthma. AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical benefit and healthcare utilisation of patients who responded to omalizumab therapy and to establish an overall cost implication. METHODS: This was an observational retrospective cohort study designed to investigate the effect of omalizumab on exacerbations of asthma before and after 6 months of treatment in Irish patients. RESULTS: Centres who had treated patients with severe allergic asthma for the 6 months prior and post omalizumab treatment were audited with a standardised assessment tool. Sixty-three (32 male) patients were studied. In the 6 months prior to omalizumab 41 of 63 (66%) had been hospitalised, and this fell to 15 of 63 (24%), p < 0.0001 in the 6 months after treatment was started. Hospital admissions reduced from 2.4 +\\/- 0.41 to 0.8 +\\/- 0.37 and the mean number of bed days occupied was reduced from 16.6 +\\/- 2.94 to 5.3 +\\/- 2.57 days, p < 0.001. The number of oral corticosteroid doses used fell from 3.1 +\\/- 0.27 to 1.2 +\\/- 0.17, p < 0.001. The overall cost saving per omalizumab responder patients for 6 months was 834. CONCLUSIONS: Six months therapy with omalizumab reduced the number of bed days, the number of hospitalisations and the use of oral corticosteroids compared to the 6 months prior to commencement. Despite the cost of the additional therapy there were overall savings in health costs.

[Gastroesophageal reflux disease in preschool children with asthma].

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Yukinori; Kameda, Makoto; Nishikido, Tomoki; Takamatu, Isamu; Doi, Satoru

2008-05-01

In pediatric intractable asthma, there is occasionally an association with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). It is not clear in which cases GERD should be suspected or how effective the GERD therapy is in treating the asthma. Twenty-seven preschool children (asthma attack in spite of asthma therapy underwent 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring. We examined retrospectively the incidence of GERD and the effectiveness of famotidine in GERD positive patients. 18 of the 27 patients (66.7%) had positive results (GERD positive group). In 12 of the 15 patients (80%) who underwent GERD therapy (famotidine), respiratory symptoms were decreased. In the GERD positive group, the incidence of acid reflux during waking hours was more frequent than during sleeping hours. In 8 of 12 patients (66.7%) in whom famotidine was effective, cough and wheeze often occurred during the daytime and corresponded with the time when acid reflux must commonly occurred. We conclude that children suffering from recurrent asthma attack in spite of asthma therapy must be examined for the presence of GERD.

Body composition in severe refractory asthma: comparison with COPD patients and healthy smokers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markos Minas

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Body composition is an important parameter for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD whereas the association between asthma and obesity is not fully understood. The impact of severe refractory asthma (SRA on fat free mass (FFM has not been investigated. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 213 subjects (70 healthy smokers, 71 COPD patients and 72 asthma patients without significant comorbidities were included in the study. In all patients, body composition assessment (using bioelectrical impendance analysis, skinfold and anthropometric measurements and spirometry were performed. Differences in fat free mass index (FFMI between groups were assessed and determinants of FFMI in asthma were evaluated. Patients with SRA had lower values of FFMI compared to patients with mild-to-moderate asthma [18.0(17.3-18.3-19.5(18.4-21.5, p<0.001], despite the fact that they were more obese. The levels of FFMI in SRA were lower than those of GOLD stage I-III COPD and comparable to those of stage IV COPD patients [18.0(17.3-18.3-18.8(17.8-20.1, p = ns]. These differences were present even after proper adjustments for sex, age, smoking status, daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS and daily use of oral corticosteroids (OCS. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of FFMI in asthmatic patients were age, use of OCS and the presence of SRA, but not smoking, sex or cumulative dose of ICS used. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: SRA is related to the presence of low FFMI that is comparable to that of GOLD stage IV COPD. The impact of this observation on asthma mechanisms and outcomes should be further investigated in large prospective studies.

Novel monoclonal treatments in severe asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meteran, Howraman; Meteran, Hanieh; Porsbjerg, Celeste

2017-01-01

articles published in English since 2000 were considered. The search identified 29 studies; 8 additional studies were found by hand search, generating 37 studies. RESULTS: Of the 37 studies investigating biological treatments of asthma, 5 were on the effects of anti-IgE (omalizumab); 12 on anti-IL-5; 8...... TSLP, IL-9, and TNF-α lacked convincing effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Research on the biological treatment of asthma shows promising results. While anti-IgE (omalizumab) has been used in the treatment of asthma for some years, anti-IL-5 has recently been approved for use. The efficacy of results of other...... large studies with a longer duration is needed to draw a firm conclusion. Such studies should not only focus on clinical outcomes, but also consider asthma-related quality of life. Knowledge on the asthma phenotypes and identification of biomarkers associated with these will be useful for physicians...

Innate lymphoid cells and asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Sanhong; Kim, Hye Young; Chang, Ya-Jen; DeKruyff, Rosemarie H; Umetsu, Dale T

2014-04-01

Asthma is a complex and heterogeneous disease with several phenotypes, including an allergic asthma phenotype characterized by TH2 cytokine production and associated with allergen sensitization and adaptive immunity. Asthma also includes nonallergic asthma phenotypes, such as asthma associated with exposure to air pollution, infection, or obesity, that require innate rather than adaptive immunity. These innate pathways that lead to asthma involve macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer T cells, and innate lymphoid cells, newly described cell types that produce a variety of cytokines, including IL-5 and IL-13. We review the recent data regarding innate lymphoid cells and their role in asthma. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Low-grade disease activity in early life precedes childhood asthma and allergy

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Chawes, Bo Lund Krogsgaard

2016-01-01

of an early life disease activity prior to clinical symptoms to understand the anteceding pathophysiological steps towards childhood asthma and allergy. The thesis is built on seven studies from the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC2000) birth cohort examining biomarkers of disease...... protein X (u-EPX), which is contained in the eosinophil granules. Elevated u-EPX in asymptomatic neonates was associated with development of allergic sensitization and nasal eosinophilia, but not with wheezing or asthma (III). These findings suggest the presence of an ongoing low-grade disease process......Asthma and allergies are today the most common chronic diseases in children and the leading causes of school absences, chronic medication usage, emergency department visits and hospitalizations, which affect all members of the family and represent a significant societal and scientific challenge...

Cutaneous sarcoidosis in a patient with severe asthma treated with omalizumab

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Yung, Samuel; Han, Duhyun; Lee, Jason K

2015-01-01

Omalizumab, a monoclonal anti-immunoglobulin E antibody, has been used as an effective treatment for severe asthma associated with atopy over the past decade. Sarcoidosis is an idiopathic granulomatous disorder in which first-line treatment is usually glucocorticoids. To the authors’ knowledge, the present report describes the first case of an association between omalizumab therapy and revelation of cutaneous sarcoidosis with the withdrawal of systemic glucocorticoids. A 56-year-old woman with severe allergic asthma dependent on oral prednisone initiated omalizumab treatment. As her symptoms of asthma improved over the course of a year, her prednisone was gradually tapered. After being off glucocorticoids, she developed skin nodules that had biopsy characteristics of sarcoidosis. The present case illustrates the need to monitor closely for potential unmasking of glucocorticoid-responsive conditions when transitioning from systemic glucocorticoids to omalizumab therapy. PMID:26401982

Acute asthma severity identification of expert system flow in emergency department

Science.gov (United States)

Sharif, Nurul Atikah Mohd; Ahmad, Norazura; Ahmad, Nazihah; Desa, Wan Laailatul Hanim Mat

2017-11-01

Integration of computerized system in healthcare management help in smoothening the documentation of patient records, highly accesses of knowledge and clinical practices guideline, and advice on decision making. Exploit the advancement of artificial intelligent such as fuzzy logic and rule-based reasoning may improve the management of emergency department in terms of uncertainty condition and medical practices adherence towards clinical guideline. This paper presenting details of the emergency department flow for acute asthma severity identification with the embedding of acute asthma severity identification expert system (AASIES). Currently, AASIES is still in preliminary stage of system validation. However, the implementation of AASIES in asthma bay management is hope can reduce the usage of paper for manual documentation and be a pioneer for the development of a more complex decision support system to smoothen the ED management and more systematic.

Effect of gender on hospital admissions for asthma and prevalence of self-reported asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prescott, E; Lange, P; Vestbo, J

1997-01-01

BACKGROUND: Women are more often admitted to hospital for asthma than men. A study was undertaken to determine whether this is caused by gender differences in the prevalence or severity of the disease. METHODS: Admissions to hospital for asthma in 13,540 subjects were followed from 1977 to 1993....... RESULTS: At baseline 315 subjects (2.3%) reported asthma, 2.2% of women and 2.5% of men. During follow up 160 subjects were admitted to hospital for asthma. After controlling for self-reported asthma and smoking, women had a higher risk of being admitted to hospital than men (relative risk 1.7, 95...

Phase-contrast computed tomography for quantification of structural changes in lungs of asthma mouse models of different severity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dullin, Christian; Larsson, Emanuel; Tromba, Giuliana; Markus, Andrea M.; Alves, Frauke

2015-01-01

Synchrotron inline phase-contrast computed tomography in combination with single-distance phase retrieval enables quantification of morphological alterations in lungs of mice with mild and severe experimental allergic airways disease in comparison with healthy controls. Lung imaging in mouse disease models is crucial for the assessment of the severity of airway disease but remains challenging due to the small size and the high porosity of the organ. Synchrotron inline free-propagation phase-contrast computed tomography (CT) with its intrinsic high soft-tissue contrast provides the necessary sensitivity and spatial resolution to analyse the mouse lung structure in great detail. Here, this technique has been applied in combination with single-distance phase retrieval to quantify alterations of the lung structure in experimental asthma mouse models of different severity. In order to mimic an in vivo situation as close as possible, the lungs were inflated with air at a constant physiological pressure. Entire mice were embedded in agarose gel and imaged using inline free-propagation phase-contrast CT at the SYRMEP beamline (Synchrotron Light Source, ‘Elettra’, Trieste, Italy). The quantification of the obtained phase-contrast CT data sets revealed an increasing lung soft-tissue content in mice correlating with the degree of the severity of experimental allergic airways disease. In this way, it was possible to successfully discriminate between healthy controls and mice with either mild or severe allergic airway disease. It is believed that this approach may have the potential to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutic strategies that target airway remodelling processes in asthma

Phase-contrast computed tomography for quantification of structural changes in lungs of asthma mouse models of different severity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dullin, Christian, E-mail: christian.dullin@med.uni-goettingen.de [University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert Koch Strasse 40, Goettingen, Lower Saxony 37075 (Germany); Larsson, Emanuel [Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163,5 in AREA Science Park, Basovizza (Trieste) 34149 (Italy); University of Trieste, Trieste (Italy); Linkoeping University, SE-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden); Tromba, Giuliana [Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163,5 in AREA Science Park, Basovizza (Trieste) 34149 (Italy); Markus, Andrea M. [University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert Koch Strasse 40, Goettingen, Lower Saxony 37075 (Germany); Alves, Frauke [University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert Koch Strasse 40, Goettingen, Lower Saxony 37075 (Germany); University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert Koch Strasse 40, Goettingen, Lower Saxony 37075 (Germany); Max Planck Institut for Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Strasse 3, Goettingen, Lower Saxony 37075 (Germany)

2015-06-17

Synchrotron inline phase-contrast computed tomography in combination with single-distance phase retrieval enables quantification of morphological alterations in lungs of mice with mild and severe experimental allergic airways disease in comparison with healthy controls. Lung imaging in mouse disease models is crucial for the assessment of the severity of airway disease but remains challenging due to the small size and the high porosity of the organ. Synchrotron inline free-propagation phase-contrast computed tomography (CT) with its intrinsic high soft-tissue contrast provides the necessary sensitivity and spatial resolution to analyse the mouse lung structure in great detail. Here, this technique has been applied in combination with single-distance phase retrieval to quantify alterations of the lung structure in experimental asthma mouse models of different severity. In order to mimic an in vivo situation as close as possible, the lungs were inflated with air at a constant physiological pressure. Entire mice were embedded in agarose gel and imaged using inline free-propagation phase-contrast CT at the SYRMEP beamline (Synchrotron Light Source, ‘Elettra’, Trieste, Italy). The quantification of the obtained phase-contrast CT data sets revealed an increasing lung soft-tissue content in mice correlating with the degree of the severity of experimental allergic airways disease. In this way, it was possible to successfully discriminate between healthy controls and mice with either mild or severe allergic airway disease. It is believed that this approach may have the potential to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutic strategies that target airway remodelling processes in asthma.

Pharmacological treatment of severe, therapy-resistant asthma in children: what can we learn from where?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bush, A; Pedersen, S; Hedlin, G

2011-01-01

There is a lack of high-quality evidence on what treatment should be used in children with properly characterised severe, therapy-resistant asthma. Data have to be largely extrapolated from trials in children with mild asthma, and adults with severe asthma. Therapeutic options can be divided......, particularly in the context of good baseline asthma control, are particularly difficult to treat; baseline control and lung function must be optimised with the lowest possible dose of ICS, and allergen triggers and exposures minimised. The use of high-dose ICS, leukotriene receptor antagonists or both...

Assessing the value of mepolizumab for severe eosinophilic asthma: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Whittington, Melanie D; McQueen, R Brett; Ollendorf, Daniel A; Tice, Jeffrey A; Chapman, Richard H; Pearson, Steven D; Campbell, Jonathan D

2017-02-01

Adding mepolizumab to standard treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and controller medications could decrease asthma exacerbations and use of long-term oral steroids in patients with severe disease and increased eosinophils; however, mepolizumab is costly and its cost effectiveness is unknown. To estimate the cost effectiveness of mepolizumab. A Markov model was used to determine the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained for mepolizumab plus standard of care (SoC) and for SoC alone. The population, adults with severe eosinophilic asthma, was modeled for a lifetime time horizon. A responder scenario analysis was conducted to determine the cost effectiveness for a cohort able to achieve and maintain asthma control. Over a lifetime treatment horizon, 23.96 exacerbations were averted per patient receiving mepolizumab plus SoC. Avoidance of exacerbations and decrease in long-term oral steroid use resulted in more than $18,000 in cost offsets among those receiving mepolizumab, but treatment costs increased by more than $600,000. Treatment with mepolizumab plus SoC vs SoC alone resulted in a cost-effectiveness estimate of $386,000 per QALY. To achieve cost effectiveness of approximately $150,000 per QALY, mepolizumab would require a more than 60% price discount. At current pricing, treating a responder cohort yielded cost-effectiveness estimates near $160,000 per QALY. The estimated cost effectiveness of mepolizumab exceeds value thresholds. Achieving these thresholds would require significant discounts from the current list price. Alternatively, treatment limited to responders improves the cost effectiveness toward, but remains still slightly above, these thresholds. Payers interested in improving the efficiency of health care resources should consider negotiations of the mepolizumab price and ways to predict and assess the response to mepolizumab. Copyright © 2016 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All

Omalizumab therapy for children and adolescents with severe allergic asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Romano, Ciro

2015-01-01

Omalizumab, a therapeutic humanized monoclonal antibody specific for human IgE, was introduced in clinical practice more than a decade ago as an add-on therapy for moderate-to-severe allergic asthma in patients aged ≥12 years. Omalizumab has been demonstrated to be effective in adults with uncontrolled persistent asthma, with an excellent safety profile. In simple terms, omalizumab works by inhibiting the allergic cascade, that is, by neutralization of the circulating free IgE. This leads to reduction in the quantity of cell-bound IgE, downregulation of high-affinity IgE receptors, and, eventually, prevention of mediator release from effector cells. Evidence is far less abundant on the role of omalizumab in pediatric asthma. Although efficacy and safety of omalizumab in children and adolescents with uncontrolled, persistent allergic asthma has been recognized as well, further studies are needed to clarify a number of open questions in this specific patient population.

Novel monoclonal treatments in severe asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Meteran, Howraman; Meteran, Hanieh; Porsbjerg, Celeste; Backer, Vibeke

2017-12-01

To provide a general overview of the current biological treatments and discuss their potential anti-asthmatic effects. We reviewed articles in PubMed found using the search words "Asthma/therapy AND antibodies, monoclonal/therapeutic use AND cytokines." Only articles published in English since 2000 were considered. The search identified 29 studies; 8 additional studies were found by hand search, generating 37 studies. Of the 37 studies investigating biological treatments of asthma, 5 were on the effects of anti-IgE (omalizumab); 12 on anti-IL-5; 8 on anti-IL-13; 5 on anti-IL-4R-α; 3 on anti-IL-9; one on TNF-α; one on anti-IL-2R-α; one on TSLP (Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin); and one on OX40L. Sample sizes ranged from 3 to 943 participants. Studies of therapies targeting IgE, IL-2, IL4R-α, IL-5, and IL-13 showed some efficacy, whereas those targeting TSLP, IL-9, and TNF-α lacked convincing effectiveness. Research on the biological treatment of asthma shows promising results. While anti-IgE (omalizumab) has been used in the treatment of asthma for some years, anti-IL-5 has recently been approved for use. The efficacy of results of other large studies with a longer duration is needed to draw a firm conclusion. Such studies should not only focus on clinical outcomes, but also consider asthma-related quality of life. Knowledge on the asthma phenotypes and identification of biomarkers associated with these will be useful for physicians considering the right treatment for the asthma patient.

Economic Burden of Pediatric Asthma: Annual Cost of Disease in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharifi, Laleh; Dashti, Raheleh; Pourpak, Zahra; Fazlollahi, Mohammad Reza; Movahedi, Masoud; Chavoshzadeh, Zahra; Soheili, Habib; Bokaie, Saied; Kazemnejad, Anoushiravan; Moin, Mostafa

2018-02-01

Asthma is the first cause of children hospitalization and need for emergency and impose high economic burden on the families and governments. We aimed to investigate the economic burden of pediatric asthma and its contribution to family health budget in Iran. Overall, 283 pediatric asthmatic patients, who referred to two tertiary pediatric referral centers in Tehran capital of Iran, included from 2010-2012. Direct and indirect asthma-related costs were recorded during one-year period. Data were statistically analyzed for finding association between the costs and factors that affect this cost (demographic variables, tobacco smoke exposure, control status of asthma and asthma concomitant diseases). Ninety-two (32.5%) females and 191(67.5%) males with the age range of 1-16 yr old were included. We found the annual total pediatrics asthma related costs were 367.97±23.06 USD. The highest cost belonged to the medications (69%) and the lowest one to the emergency (2%). We noticed a significant increasing in boys' total costs ( P =0.011), and 7-11 yr old age group ( P =0.018). In addition, we found significant association between total asthma costs and asthma control status ( P =0.011). The presence of an asthmatic child can consume nearly half of the health budget of a family. Our results emphasis on improving asthma management programs, which leads to successful control status of the disease and reduction in economic burden of pediatric asthma.

Mannose binding lectin (MBL levels predict lung function decline in severe asthma

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Ilonka. H. van Veen

2006-12-01

Full Text Available There is increasing evidence that activation of the complement system in asthma contributes to ongoing inflammation, tissue damage and airway remodeling. Mannose binding lectin (MBL is a pattern recognition molecule that serves as the key mediator of the lectin pathway of complement activation. MBL levels are genetically determined and vary widely amongst individuals. In the present study we hypothesized that high MBL levels in asthma are associated with increased loss of lung function over time, as a consequence of inflammatory tissue damage. We measured serum MBL levels by ELISA in 68 patients with severe asthma and prospectively determined the change in post-bronchodilator (pb FEV1 over a mean period of 5.7 years. The relationship between MBL and change in pbFEV1 (FEV1 was analysed using (multiple regression analysis and corrected for possible confounders (age, sex, age of onset, asthma duration, and pbFEV1. The median (range MBL level was 332 (10.8-3587 ng·ml–1. MBL was significantly associated with FEV1 (p<0.04. Patients with a high MBL level (332 ng·ml–1 had an increased risk of lung function decline compared to those with low MBL levels (OR (CI: 3.16 (1.14-8.79, p = 0.027; the excess decline being 42 ml·yr–1 (p = 0.01. We conclude that a high MBL level is associated with an increased decline in lung function in patients with severe asthma. MBL might provide a clue towards better understanding of the pathophysiology of ongoing inflammation and subsequent decline in lung function of patients with severe asthma.

Performance of a novel clinical score, the Pediatric Asthma Severity Score (PASS), in the evaluation of acute asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorelick, Marc H; Stevens, Molly W; Schultz, Theresa R; Scribano, Philip V

2004-01-01

To evaluate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of a new clinical asthma score, the Pediatric Asthma Severity Score (PASS), in children aged 1 through 18 years in an acute clinical setting. This was a prospective cohort study of children treated for acute asthma at two urban pediatric emergency departments (EDs). A total of 852 patients were enrolled at one site and 369 at the second site. Clinical findings were assessed at the start of the ED visit, after one hour of treatment, and at the time of disposition. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) (for patients aged 6 years and older) and pulse oximetry were also measured. Composite scores including three, four, or five clinical findings were evaluated, and the three-item score (wheezing, prolonged expiration, and work of breathing) was selected as the PASS. Interobserver reliability for the PASS was good to excellent (kappa = 0.72 to 0.83). There was a significant correlation between PASS and PEFR (r = 0.27 to 0.37) and pulse oximetry (r = 0.29 to 0.41) at various time points. The PASS was able to discriminate between those patients who did and did not require hospitalization, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.82. Finally, the PASS was shown to be responsive, with a 48% relative increase in score from start to end of treatment and an overall effect size of 0.62, indicating a moderate to large effect. This clinical score, the PASS, based on three clinical findings, is a reliable and valid measure of asthma severity in children and shows both discriminative and responsive properties. The PASS may be a useful tool to assess acute asthma severity for clinical and research purposes.

Predictive Biomarkers for Asthma Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Medrek, Sarah K; Parulekar, Amit D; Hanania, Nicola A

2017-09-19

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by multiple phenotypes. Treatment of patients with severe disease can be challenging. Predictive biomarkers are measurable characteristics that reflect the underlying pathophysiology of asthma and can identify patients that are likely to respond to a given therapy. This review discusses current knowledge regarding predictive biomarkers in asthma. Recent trials evaluating biologic therapies targeting IgE, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-4 have utilized predictive biomarkers to identify patients who might benefit from treatment. Other work has suggested that using composite biomarkers may offer enhanced predictive capabilities in tailoring asthma therapy. Multiple biomarkers including sputum eosinophil count, blood eosinophil count, fractional concentration of nitric oxide in exhaled breath (FeNO), and serum periostin have been used to identify which patients will respond to targeted asthma medications. Further work is needed to integrate predictive biomarkers into clinical practice.

Therapy with omalizumab for patients with severe allergic asthma improves asthma control and reduces overall healthcare costs.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Costello, R W

2011-05-11

BACKGROUND: Patients with asthma who have persistent symptoms despite treatment with inhaled steroids and long-acting beta agonists are considered to have severe asthma. Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against IgE, which is used as an add-on treatment for patients who have severe persistent allergic asthma. AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical benefit and healthcare utilisation of patients who responded to omalizumab therapy and to establish an overall cost implication. METHODS: This was an observational retrospective cohort study designed to investigate the effect of omalizumab on exacerbations of asthma before and after 6 months of treatment in Irish patients. RESULTS: Centres who had treated patients with severe allergic asthma for the 6 months prior and post omalizumab treatment were audited with a standardised assessment tool. Sixty-three (32 male) patients were studied. In the 6 months prior to omalizumab 41 of 63 (66%) had been hospitalised, and this fell to 15 of 63 (24%), p < 0.0001 in the 6 months after treatment was started. Hospital admissions reduced from 2.4 ± 0.41 to 0.8 ± 0.37 and the mean number of bed days occupied was reduced from 16.6 ± 2.94 to 5.3 ± 2.57 days, p < 0.001. The number of oral corticosteroid doses used fell from 3.1 ± 0.27 to 1.2 ± 0.17, p < 0.001. The overall cost saving per omalizumab responder patients for 6 months was 834. CONCLUSIONS: Six months therapy with omalizumab reduced the number of bed days, the number of hospitalisations and the use of oral corticosteroids compared to the 6 months prior to commencement. Despite the cost of the additional therapy there were overall savings in health costs.

Severe bronchial asthma in children: the role of clinical and anamnestic indices in diagnosis verification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolyubakina L.V.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The paper presents comparative analysis of results of clinical and anamnestic examination of children depending on the asthma severity. Severe asthma in schoolchildren relative to moderate phenotype characterized by birth overweight, more burdened individual allergic history, highly infectious index, drug or combined (medication, food and household allergies, seasonal exacerbations (mainly from November to March, what associated with the trigger role of ARVI and meteorological factors, inadequate asthma control during standard basic therapy.

Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome-Coexistence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma in elderly patients and parameters for their differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tochino, Yoshihiro; Asai, Kazuhisa; Shuto, Taichi; Hirata, Kazuto

2017-03-01

Japan is an aging society, and the number of elderly patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is consequently increasing, with an estimated incidence of approximately 5 million. In 2014, asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) was defined by a joint project of Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) committee and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) committee. The main aims of this consensus-based document are to assist clinicians, especially those in primary care or nonpulmonary specialties. In this article, we discussed parameters to differentiate asthma and COPD in elderly patients and showed prevalence, clinical features and treatment of ACOS on the basis of the guidelines of GINA and GOLD. Furthermore, we showed also referral for specialized investigations.

Asthma control in Latin America: the Asthma Insights and Reality in Latin America (AIRLA) survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Neffen, Hugo; Fritscher, Carlos; Schacht, Francisco Cuevas; Levy, Gur; Chiarella, Pascual; Soriano, Joan B; Mechali, Daniel

2005-03-01

The aims of this survey were (1) to assess the quality of asthma treatment and control in Latin America, (2) to determine how closely asthma management guidelines are being followed, and (3) to assess perception, knowledge and attitudes related to asthma in Latin America. We surveyed a household sample of 2,184 adults or parents of children with asthma in 2003 in 11 countries in Latin America. Respondents were asked about healthcare utilization, symptom severity, activity limitations and medication use. Daytime asthma symptoms were reported by 56% of the respondents, and 51% reported being awakened by their asthma at night. More than half of those surveyed had been hospitalized, attended a hospital emergency service or made unscheduled emergency visits to other healthcare facilities for asthma during the previous year. Patient perception of asthma control did not match symptom severity, even in patients with severe persistent asthma, 44.7% of whom regarded their disease as being well or completely controlled. Only 2.4% (2.3% adults and 2.6% children) met all criteria for asthma control. Although 37% reported treatment with prescription medications, only 6% were using inhaled corticosteroids. Most adults (79%) and children (68%) in this survey reported that asthma symptoms limited their activities. Absence from school and work was reported by 58% of the children and 31% of adults, respectively. Asthma control in Latin America falls short of goals in international guidelines, and in many aspects asthma care and control in Latin America suffer from the same shortcomings as in other areas of the world.

Surfactant protein B polymorphisms are associated with severe respiratory syncytial virus infection, but not with asthma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heinzmann Andrea

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Surfactant proteins (SP are important for the innate host defence and essential for a physiological lung function. Several linkage and association studies have investigated the genes coding for different surfactant proteins in the context of pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or respiratory distress syndrome of preterm infants. In this study we tested whether SP-B was in association with two further pulmonary diseases in children, i. e. severe infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus and bronchial asthma. Methods We chose to study five polymorphisms in SP-B: rs2077079 in the promoter region; rs1130866 leading to the amino acid exchange T131I; rs2040349 in intron 8; rs3024801 leading to L176F and rs3024809 resulting in R272H. Statistical analyses made use of the Armitage's trend test for single polymorphisms and FAMHAP and FASTEHPLUS for haplotype analyses. Results The polymorphisms rs3024801 and rs3024809 were not present in our study populations. The three other polymorphisms were common and in tight linkage disequilibrium with each other. They did not show association with bronchial asthma or severe RSV infection in the analyses of single polymorphisms. However, haplotypes analyses revealed association of SP-B with severe RSV infection (p = 0.034. Conclusion Thus our results indicate a possible involvement of SP-B in the genetic predisposition to severe RSV infections in the German population. In order to determine which of the three polymorphisms constituting the haplotypes is responsible for the association, further case control studies on large populations are necessary. Furthermore, functional analysis need to be conducted.

Dupilumab in the management of moderate-to-severe asthma: the data so far

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Barranco P

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Pilar Barranco,1 Elsa Phillips-Angles,2 Javier Dominguez-Ortega,1 Santiago Quirce1 1Department of Allergy, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ, CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, Madrid, Spain; 2Department of Allergy, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain Abstract: Severe asthma constitutes illness in a relatively small proportion of all patients with asthma, but it is a major public health problem – with considerable effect on morbidity, mortality, as well as a high burden on health care resources. Regardless of effective treatments being widely available and the existence of treatment guidelines, a large population of severe asthma cases remain uncontrolled. Achieving and maintaining asthma control in this group of patients is, therefore, of utmost importance. The recognition of distinct inflammatory phenotypes within this population has driven the development of targeted biological therapies – particularly, selective targeted monoclonal antibodies (mAbs. It is noteworthy that in approximately 50% of these patients, there is strong evidence of the pathogenic role of T helper type-2 (Th2 cytokines, such as interleukin (IL-4 and IL-13, orchestrating the eosinophilic and allergic inflammatory processes. Among the recently developed antiasthma biologic drugs, the mAb dupilumab is very promising given its ability to inhibit the biological effects of both IL-4 and IL-13. In this review, we focused on IL-4 and IL-13, as these interleukins are considered to play a key role in the pathophysiology of asthma, and on dupilumab, an anti-IL-4 receptor human mAb, as a forthcoming treatment for uncontrolled severe asthma in the near future. Keywords: dupilumab, asthma, interleukin-4, interleukin-13, monoclonal antibodies, treatment

Response to omalizumab in patients with severe allergic asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zierau, Louise; Walsted, Emil Schwarz; Thomsen, Simon Francis

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, which is widely used for patients with severe uncontrolled asthma. Treatment with omalizumab is known to decrease the number of exacerbations and GETE score (Global Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness) - but little is known...

Socio-economic disadvantage, quality of medical care and admission for acute severe asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolbe, J; Vamos, M; Fergusson, W

1997-06-01

In asthma, socio-economic and health care factors may operate by a number of mechanisms to influence asthma morbidity and mortality. To determine the quality of medical care including the patient perception of the doctor-patient relationship, and the level of socio-economic disadvantage in patients admitted to hospital with acute severe asthma. One hundred and thirty-eight patients (15-50 years) admitted to hospital (general ward or intensive care unit) with acute asthma were prospectively assessed using a number of previously validated instruments. The initial subjects had severe asthma on admission (pH = 7.3 +/- 0.2, PaCO2 = 7.1 +/- 5.0 kPa, n = 90) but short hospital stay (3.7 +/- 2.6 days). Although having high morbidity (40% had hospital admission in the last year and 60% had moderate/severe interference with sleep and/or ability to exercise), they had indicators of good ongoing medical care (96% had a regular GP, 80% were prescribed inhaled steroids, 84% had a peak flow meter, GP measured peak flow routinely in 80%, 52% had a written crisis plan and 44% had a supply of steroids at home). However, they were severely economically disadvantaged (53% had experienced financial difficulties in the last year, and for 35% of households the only income was a social security benefit). In the last year 39% had delayed or put off GP visit because of cost. Management of the index attack was compromised by concern about medical costs in 16% and time off work in 20%. Patients admitted to hospital with acute asthma have evidence of good quality on-going medical care, but are economically disadvantaged. If issues such as financial barriers to health care are not acknowledged and addressed, the health care services for asthmatics will not be effectively utilised and the current reductions in morbidity and mortality may not be maintained.

Staphylococcal superantigen-specific IgE antibodies: degree of sensitization and association with severity of asthma

OpenAIRE

Elabras Filho, José; Mello, Fernanda Carvalho de Queiroz; Lupi, Omar; Bica, Blanca Elena Rios Gomes; Papi, José Angelo de Souza; França, Alfeu Tavares

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the presence of staphylococcal superantigen-specific IgE antibodies and degree of IgE-mediated sensitization, as well as whether or not those are associated with the severity of asthma in adult patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving outpatients with asthma under treatment at a tertiary care university hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Consecutive patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of asthma ba...

Asthma: epidemiology of disease control in Latin America ? short review

OpenAIRE

Sol?, Dirceu; Aranda, Carolina Sanchez; Wandalsen, Gustavo Falbo

2017-01-01

Asthma is reported as one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood, impairing the quality of life of patients and their families and incurring high costs to the healthcare system and society. Despite the development of new drugs and the availability of international treatment guidelines, asthma is still poorly controlled, especially in Latin America. Original and review articles on asthma control or epidemiology with high levels of evidence have been selected for analysis among those ...

Advances in asthma pathophysiology: stepping forward from the Maurizio Vignola experience

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Maria R. Bonsignore

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Maurizio Vignola was a superb and innovative researcher, who wrote seminal papers on the biology of airway epithelium in asthma. Inflammation and remodelling were the main topics of his research, mostly conducted in biopsy specimens from patients with asthma of variable severity, encompassing the entire spectrum of the disease from mild to severe asthma. His observations contributed to define the biology of asthma as we know it today, and opened the way to the personalised treatment of asthma. His group has successfully continued to investigate the biology and clinical aspects of bronchial asthma, with major interest in the clinical use of biomarkers to monitor disease activity, and in the development of new therapeutic perspectives. This review summarises the latest work on these topics proudly conducted by Maurizio's closest collaborators. The results indicate significant progress in our understanding of asthma in the last 10 years, in particular increased knowledge of the complex interaction between inflammatory and remodelling pathways, improved recognition of biological and clinical asthma phenotypes, and development of new treatment strategies, especially for patients with severe corticosteroid-resistant asthma.

Prevalence, severity and determinations of asthma in Danish five-year-olds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hermann, Christian; De Fine Olivarius, Niels; Høst, Arne

2006-01-01

regarding respiratory symptoms and our own questions on sociodemography and tobacco exposure. RESULTS: "Wheeze ever" was reported in 38.3%, "doctor-diagnosed asthma ever" in 10.5%, "childhood bronchitis ever" in 30.0%, "current wheeze" (3 episodes) in 3.......9% of the children. Current wheeze was associated with male gender (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.35-1.96), low parental post-primary education (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.02-1.63 for or =3 y) and current maternal smoking (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.39-2.04). "Severe current wheeze" was recognized as asthma in six and childhood......BACKGROUND: The prevalence of asthma and wheeze is increasing. AIM: To study the annual and cumulative prevalence of asthma and wheeze in 5-y-old Danish children. METHODS: We obtained data on 3052 (82.0% of eligible) Danish children by a postal parental questionnaire including ISAAC questions...

Drop-out rate among patients treated with omalizumab for severe asthma: Literature review and real-life experience.

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Caminati, M; Senna, G; Stefanizzi, G; Bellamoli, R; Longhi, S; Chieco-Bianchi, F; Guarnieri, G; Tognella, S; Olivieri, M; Micheletto, C; Festi, G; Bertocco, E; Mazza, M; Rossi, A; Vianello, A

2016-08-25

In patients with asthma, particularly severe asthma, poor adherence to inhaled drugs negatively affects the achievement of disease control. A better adherence rate is expected in the case of injected drugs, such as omalizumab, as they are administered only in a hospital setting. However, adherence to omalizumab has never been systematically investigated. The aim of this study was to review the omalizumab drop-out rate in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-life studies. A comparative analysis was performed between published data and the Italian North East Omalizumab Network (NEONet) database. In RCTs the drop-out rate ranged from 7.1 to 19.4 %. Although the reasons for withdrawal were only occasionally reported, patient decision and adverse events were the most frequently reported causes. In real-life studies the drop-out rate ranged from 0 to 45.5 %. In most cases lack of efficacy was responsible for treatment discontinuation. According to NEONet data, 32 % of treated patients dropped out, with an increasing number of drop outs observed over time. Patient decision and lack of efficacy accounted for most treatment withdrawals. Treatment adherence is particularly crucial in patients with severe asthma considering the clinical impact of the disease and the cost of non-adherence. The risk of treatment discontinuation has to be carefully considered both in the experimental and real-life settings. Increased knowledge regarding the main reasons for patient withdrawal is important to improve adherence in clinical practice.

Advances in pediatric asthma and atopic dermatitis.

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Foroughi, Shabnam; Thyagarajan, Ananth; Stone, Kelly D

2005-10-01

Allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and urticaria are common in general pediatric practice. This review highlights several significant advances in pediatric allergy over the past year, focusing on asthma and atopic dermatitis. With increasing options for the treatment of allergic diseases, much work is now focused on methods for individualizing treatments to a patient's phenotype and genotype. Progress over the past year includes the characterization of effects of regular albuterol use in patients with genetic variations in the beta-adrenergic receptor. Maintenance asthma regimens for children in the first years of life are also an ongoing focus. The relation between upper airway allergic inflammation and asthma has continued to accumulate support and now extends to the middle ear. Environmental influences on asthma and interventions have been described, including environmental controls for asthma and the role of air pollution on lung development in children. Finally, concerns have been raised regarding the use of topical immunomodulators in young children with atopic dermatitis. Progress continues in the care of children with atopic diseases. Attention to treatment with appropriate medications, patient-individualized environmental controls, and extensive education are the keys to successfully treating atopic children. This review highlights several recent advances but is not intended to be a comprehensive review.

Phenotype of asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome.

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Rhee, Chin Kook

2015-07-01

Many patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have overlapping characteristics of both diseases. By spirometric definition, patients with both fixed airflow obstruction (AO) and bronchodilator reversibility or fixed AO and bronchial hyperresponsiveness can be considered to have asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). However, patients regarded to have ACOS by spirometric criteria alone are heterogeneous and can be classified by phenotype. Eosinophilic inflammation, a history of allergic disease, and smoke exposure are important components in the classification of ACOS. Each phenotype has a different underlying pathophysiology, set of characteristics, and prognosis. Medical treatment for ACOS should be tailored according to phenotype. A narrower definition of ACOS that includes both spirometric and clinical criteria is needed.

Anti-IgE: lessons from clinical trials in patients with severe allergic asthma symptomatic despite optimised therapy

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R. Buhl

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The efficacy of omalizumab has been extensively investigated in clinical trials in patients with severe persistent allergic (pre-treatment total immunoglobulin E 30–700 IU·mL–1 asthma including the Investigation of Omalizumab in Severe Asthma Treatment (INNOVATE study, which enrolled patients with inadequately controlled severe persistent allergic asthma despite receiving high-dose inhaled corticosteroid in combination with a long-acting beta2-agonist, and also additional controller medication if required. In the INNOVATE study, add-on omalizumab significantly reduced clinically significant exacerbation rates by 26% (0.68 versus 0.91, severe exacerbation rates by 50% (0.24 versus 0.48 and emergency visit rates by 44% (0.24 versus 0.43 and significantly improved asthma-related quality of life (QoL compared with placebo. In a pooled analysis of data from seven studies, add-on omalizumab significantly reduced asthma exacerbation rates by 38% (0.91 versus 1.47 and total emergency visits by 47% (0.332 versus 0.623. In addition, omalizumab significantly improved QoL versus current asthma therapy in a pooled analysis of data from six studies. Omalizumab has demonstrated a good safety and tolerability profile in completed phase-I, -II and -III studies involving >7,500 patients with asthma, rhinitis or related conditions. Omalizumab represents a major advance for the treatment of severe persistent allergic asthma that is inadequately controlled despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and a long-acting beta2-agonist.

Preventing Severe Asthma Exacerbations in Children. A Randomized Trial of Mite-Impermeable Bedcovers.

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Murray, Clare S; Foden, Philip; Sumner, Helen; Shepley, Elizabeth; Custovic, Adnan; Simpson, Angela

2017-07-15

Allergen exposure in sensitized individuals with asthma interacts with viruses to increase the risk of asthma exacerbation. To evaluate the use of house dust mite-impermeable bedding and its impact on severe asthma exacerbations in children. We randomized mite-sensitized children with asthma (ages 3-17 yr) after an emergency hospital attendance with an asthma exacerbation to receive mite-impermeable (active group) or control (placebo group) bed encasings. Over a 12-month intervention period, the occurrence of severe asthma exacerbations was investigated. Of 434 children with asthma who consented, 286 (mean age, 7.7 yr; male sex, 65.8%) were mite sensitized, and 284 were randomized (146 to the active group and 138 to the placebo group). At 12 months, significantly fewer children in the active group than in the placebo group had attended the hospital with an exacerbation (36 [29.3%] of 123 vs. 49 [41.5%] of 118; P = 0.047). In the multivariable analysis, the risk of emergency hospital attendance was 45% lower in the active group (hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.85; P = 0.006) than in the placebo group. The annual rate of emergency hospital attendance with exacerbations was 27% lower in the active group than in the placebo group, but this did not reach significance (estimated marginal mean [95% CI], active, 0.38 [0.26-0.56] vs. placebo, 0.52 [0.35-0.76]; P = 0.18). No difference between the groups in the risk of prednisolone use for exacerbation was found (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.58-1.17; P = 0.28). Mite-impermeable encasings are effective in reducing the number of mite-sensitized children with asthma attending the hospital with asthma exacerbations but not the number requiring oral prednisolone. This simple measure may reduce the health care burden of asthma exacerbations in children. Clinical trial registered with www.isrctn.com (ISRCTN 69543196).

Asthma: NHLBI Workshop on the Primary Prevention of Chronic Lung Diseases

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Hartert, Tina V.; Martinez, Fernando D.; Weiss, Scott T.; Fahy, John V.

2014-01-01

Asthma is a common disease with enormous public health costs, and its primary prevention is an ambitious and important goal. Understanding of how host and environmental factors interact to cause asthma is incomplete, but persistent questions about mechanisms should not stop clinical research efforts aimed at reducing the prevalence of childhood asthma. Achieving the goal of primary prevention of asthma will involve integrated and parallel sets of research activities in which mechanism-oriented studies of asthma inception proceed alongside clinical intervention studies to test biologically plausible prevention ideas. For example, continued research is needed, particularly in young children, to uncover biomarkers that identify asthma risk and provide potential targets of intervention, and to improve understanding of the role of microbial factors in asthma risk and disease initiation. In terms of clinical trials that could be initiated now or in the near future, we recommend three interventions for testing: (1) preventing asthma through prophylaxis against respiratory syncytial virus and human rhinovirus infections of the airway; (2) immune modulation, using prebiotics, probiotics, and bacterial lysates; and (3) prevention of allergen sensitization and allergic inflammation, using anti-IgE. These interventions should be tested while other, more universal prevention measures that may promote lung health are also investigated. These potential universal lung health measures include prevention of preterm delivery; reduced exposure of the fetus and young infant to environmental pollutants, including tobacco smoke; prevention of maternal and child obesity; and management of psychosocial stress. PMID:24754822

Omalizumab Improves Quality of Life and Asthma Control in Chinese Patients With Moderate to Severe Asthma: A Randomized Phase III Study

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Li, Jing; Kang, Jian; Wang, Changzheng; Yang, Jing; Wang, Linda; Kottakis, Ioannis; Humphries, Michael

2016-01-01

Purpose Omalizumab is the preferred add-on therapy for patients with moderate-to-severe persistent allergic asthma and has demonstrated efficacy and safety in various ethnicities. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of omalizumab in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma. Methods This randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, phase III study assessed lung function, quality of life, asthma control, and safety of omalizumab after 24-week therapy in Chinese patients (18-75 years of age). Results A total of 616 patients were randomized (1:1) to omalizumab or placebo. The primary endpoint, least squares mean treatment difference (LSM-TD) in morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) (omalizumab vs placebo), at Weeks >20-24 was 8.85 L/min (Full analysis set; P=0.062). Per-protocol analysis set showed significant improvements with LSM-TD of 11.53 L/min in mean mPEF at Weeks >20-24 (P=0.022). The FEV1 % predicted was significantly improved with omalizumab vs placebo from 8 to 24 weeks (after 24-week treatment: LSM-TD=4.12%; P=0.001). At Week 24, a higher proportion of omalizumab-treated patients achieved clinically relevant improvements in standardized AQLQ (58.2% vs 39.3%; LSM=0.51 vs 0.10; Pquality of life, and asthma control in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe persistent allergic asthma and has a good safety profile. PMID:27126725

Long-term CPAP treatment improves asthma control in patients with asthma and obstructive sleep apnoea.

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Kauppi, Paula; Bachour, Patrick; Maasilta, Paula; Bachour, Adel

2016-12-01

Both asthma and obstructive sleep apnoea cause sleep disturbance, daytime sleepiness and diminished quality of life. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is efficient in reducing symptoms related to sleep apnoea. Here we report the impact of long-term use of CPAP on asthma symptoms. A survey questionnaire was distributed to all of our obstructive sleep apnoea patients with CPAP therapy in 2013. We used the Finnish version of the Asthma Control Test™ (ACT) and a visual analogue scale (0 = no symptoms, 100 = severe asthma symptoms). Asthma was defined as self-reported physician-diagnosed disease and a special reimbursement for asthma medication by the Social Insurance Institution. We sent 2577 questionnaires and received 1586 answers (61 %). One hundred ninety-seven patients were asthmatics with a prevalence of asthma among CPAP users of 13 %. We studied 152 patients (58 females) whose CPAP therapy was initiated after starting asthma medication. Their mean (SD) age was 62 (10) years, duration of CPAP 5.7 (4.7) years and their CPAP daily use was 6.3 (2.4) h. Self-reported asthma severity decreased significantly from 48.3 (29.6) to 33.1 (27.4) (p CPAP (P CPAP in patients with both asthma and obstructive sleep apnoea.

Adult asthma disease management: an analysis of studies, approaches, outcomes, and methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Maciejewski, Matthew L; Chen, Shih-Yin; Au, David H

2009-07-01

Disease management has been implemented for patients with asthma in various ways. We describe the approaches to and components of adult asthma disease-management interventions, examine the outcomes evaluated, and assess the quality of published studies. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, and Cochrane databases for studies published in 1986 through 2008, on adult asthma management. With the studies that met our inclusion criteria, we examined the clinical, process, medication, economic, and patient-reported outcomes reported, and the study designs, provider collaboration during the studies, and statistical methods. Twenty-nine articles describing 27 studies satisfied our inclusion criteria. There was great variation in the content, extent of collaboration between physician and non-physician providers responsible for intervention delivery, and outcomes examined across the 27 studies. Because of limitations in the design of 22 of the 27 studies, the differences in outcomes assessed, and the lack of rigorous statistical adjustment, we could not draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of the asthma disease-management programs or which approach was most effective. Few well-designed studies with rigorous evaluations have been conducted to evaluate disease-management interventions for adults with asthma. Current evidence is insufficient to recommend any particular intervention.

PRIMARY RESULTS OF LONG-TERM DYNAMIC MONITORING OF CHILDREN WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA OF UNCONTROLLED SEVERE PERSISTENT COURSE

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L. S. Namazova-Baranova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Patients registers help obtain the latest information about the clinical course of a disease, safety and effectiveness of the medical technology. Objective: Our aim was to analyze the efficiency and safety of omalizumab with children suffering from uncontrolled severe persistent bronchial asthma (BA according to the data of the developed register. Methods.  A register of patients with severe asthma of uncontrolled course receiving omalizumab in addition to basic therapy has been developed. Results. Results of treatment of 101 children aged 6–17 have been analyzed. The duration of therapy with omalizumab lasted from 1 to 85 months, with a median of 16 (10; 44 months. The drug was used in doses of 75 to 600 mg, with a median of 300 (225; 375 mg. The therapy with omalizumab allowed achieving a better control of the disease (AST test prior to start of therapy — 14 (11; 17 points, in 1 year — 20 (13; 25; p < 0,001; reduction of the volume of daily base therapy (prior to start of therapy, average dose of inhaled corticosteroids in terms of fluticasone was 629 ± 304 mg (n = 15, in 4 years — 524 ± 342 mg; p = 0.065; reduction of the number of aggravations and the need to use short-effectiv   2-agonists.  No adverse systemic effects of the introduction of genetically engineered biological drugs have been found. Conclusion. Register of patients with severe persistent asthma can be used as a tool for long-term  monitoring and integrated assessment of the efficiency and safety of therapy.

B-Glucan exacerbates allergic asthma independent of fungal ...

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BackgroundAllergic sensitization to fungi has been associated with asthma severity. As a result, it has been largely assumed that the contribution of fungi to allergic disease is mediated through their potent antigenicity.ObjectiveWe sought to determine the mechanism by which fungi affect asthma development and severity.MethodsWe integrated epidemiologic and experimental asthma models to explore the effect of fungal exposure on asthma development and severity.ResultsWe report that fungal exposure enhances allergen-driven TH2 responses, promoting severe allergic asthma. This effect is independent of fungal sensitization and can be reconstituted with β-glucan and abrogated by neutralization of IL-17A. Furthermore, this severe asthma is resistant to steroids and characterized by mixed TH2 and TH17 responses, including IL-13+IL-17+CD4+ double-producing effector T cells. Steroid resistance is dependent on fungus-induced TH17 responses because steroid sensitivity was restored in IL-17rc−/− mice. Similarly, in children with asthma, fungal exposure was associated with increased serum IL-17A levels and asthma severity.ConclusionOur data demonstrate that fungi are potent immunomodulators and have powerful effects on asthma independent of their potential to act as antigens. Furthermore, our results provide a strong rationale for combination treatment strategies targeting IL-17A for this subgroup of fungus-exposed patients with difficult-to-treat asthma. To describe th

[Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of bronchial asthma].

Science.gov (United States)

Gillissen, A; Bauer, T; Richter, F; Leonhardt, P

2001-11-01

Asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are the most important obstructive pulmonary diseases. Patient's history and physical evaluation give major hints of the underlying disease. Further diagnostic measures comprise lung function analysis including spirometry, plethysmography and--in severe cases--blood gas analysis. Bronchial hyperreactivity may be quantified with an unspecific inhalative provocation test. In many cases allergic diseases are accompanied by asthma. Thus, allergy tests--particularly skin prick tests--have to be carried out. To further define an underlying allergy, in some cases even specific inhalative provocation tests have to be performed. X-ray of the thorax and other imaging techniques, detailed blood analysis, further diagnosis of the upper respiratory tract and the cardiac system may have to be carried out a) to quantify the effects of a severe form of asthma or COPD on other organs, and b) for differential diagnostic examinations.

Sub-optimal patient and physician communication in primary care consultations: its relation to severe and difficult asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moffat, M.; Cleland, J.; Van der Molen, T.; Price, D.

2006-01-01

Introduction: Asthma control can be influenced by a range of non-medical issues, including psychosocial factors. Little is known about the views of patients, particularly those with severe and/or difficult asthma, towards their asthma control and their asthma-related primary care consultations. Aims

Successful Use of Extracorporeal Life Support after Double Traumatic Tracheobronchial Injury in a Patient with Severe Acute Asthma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xavier Valette

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We report the case of an asthmatic patient with blunt trachea and left main bronchus injuries who developed acute severe asthma after surgical repair. Despite medical treatment and ventilatory support, asthma persisted with high airway pressures and severe respiratory acidosis. We proposed venovenous extracorporeal life support for CO2 removal which allowed arterial blood gas normalization and airway pressures decrease. Extracorporeal life support was removed on day five after medical treatment of acute severe asthma. So we report the successful use of extracorporeal life support for operated double blunt tracheobronchial injury with acute severe asthma.

Bronchial Thermoplasty in Severe Asthma: Best Practice Recommendations from an Expert Panel.

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Bonta, Peter I; Chanez, Pascal; Annema, Jouke T; Shah, Pallav L; Niven, Robert

2018-01-01

Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a bronchoscopic treatment for patients with severe asthma who remain symptomatic despite optimal medical therapy. In this "expert best practice" paper, the background and practical aspects of BT are highlighted. Randomized, controlled clinical trials have shown BT to be safe and effective in reducing severe exacerbations, improving quality of life, and decreasing emergency department visits. Five-year follow-up studies have provided evidence of the functional stability of BT-treated patients with persistence of a clinical benefit. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines state that BT can be considered as a treatment option for adult asthma patients at step 5. Patient selection for BT requires close collaboration between interventional pulmonologists and severe asthma specialists. Key patient selection criteria for BT will be reviewed. BT therapy is delivered in 3 separate bronchoscopy sessions at least 3 weeks apart, covering different regions of the lung separately. Patients are treated with 50 mg/day of prednisolone or equivalent for 5 days, starting treatment 3 days prior to the procedure. The procedure is performed under moderate-to-deep sedation or general anesthesia. At bronchos-copy a single-use catheter with a basket design is inserted through the instrument channel and the energy is delivered by a radiofrequency (RF) generator (AlairTM Bronchial Thermoplasty System). BT uses temperature-controlled RF energy to impact airway remodeling, including a reduction of excessive airway smooth muscle within the airway wall, which has been recognized as a predominant feature of asthma. The treatment should be performed in a systemic manner, starting at the most distal part of the (sub)segmental airway, then moving proximally to the main bronchi, ensuring that the majority of the airways are treated. In general, 40-70 RF activations are provided in the lower lobes, and between 50 and 100 activations in the upper lobes combined

Which functional parameters can help differentiate severe asthma from COPD?

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Ricardo Marques Dias

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to identify the respiratory function parameters that help in the accurate diagnosis of asthma and COPD. We studied 20 asthma and 30 COPD patients who underwent lung function tests including spirometry and plethysmography both with bronchodilator test and diffusion with carbon monoxide (DLCO. The tests were performed according to International Guidelines (ATS/ERS. The asthma patients were younger (mean age = 48 than those in the COPD group (mean age = 59 and this group also had more female patients (65% than the COPD group (40%. The results showed a more severe obstruction in the asthma group: FEV1/FVC = 59% versus 66% for COPD. There was also a greater bronchodilator response as shown by changes in absolute and percentage values for FEV1 in the asthma group. Average DLCO values were normal in the asthma group (103%P and lower in the COPD (69%. In plethysmography the asthma group had a higher residual volume (%P and a higher airway resistance. We concluded that many functional parameters were useful in distinguishing the asthma and COPD groups. In individual analysis, DLCO was the parameter which best aided in an accurate diagnosis in both groups, with a higher specificity for COPD. The bronchodilator response measured by changes in FEV1 showed a higher sensitivity for asthma. Thus, these two tests are highlighted in the differential diagnosis of obstructive diseases. Resumo: Com o objectivo de identificar parâmetros funcionais respiratórios que contribuam para o diagnóstico diferencial entre asma e DPOC, estudámos 20 asmáticos e 30 bronquíticos, com ou sem enfisema, com os exames usuais de função pulmonar: espirografia, pletismografia e DLCO, pré e pós-broncodilatação para os dois primeiros exames. Os grupos apresentam diferenças significativas na sua constituição. Os asmáticos são mais jovens, média de 48 anos, contra 59 anos no grupo com DPOC, e o

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and non-asthma lung disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. S. Morehead

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD is a common disorder in Western countries, and its relationship to airways disorders (e.g. asthma has been well established. Lung diseases other than asthma have also been associated with GERD, but the nature and scope of this relationship has not been fully defined. Diseases that have been associated with GERD include bronchiolitis syndromes, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma and nontubercular mycobacterial infection. Diagnostic evaluation centres upon proving both reflux and pulmonary aspiration, which may be accomplished in some cases by lung biopsy. However, in many cases a compatible clinical and radiographic picture coupled with proof of proximal reflux by combined oesophageal probe testing may suffice for a provisional diagnosis and allow institution of anti-reflux measures. Proton-pump inhibitors are the medications of choice for GERD; other interventions shown to reduce reflux are weight loss, elevation of the head of the bed and avoidance of recumbency after meals. However, acid suppression therapy does not address non-acid reflux that may be important in disease pathogenesis in select patients, and lifestyle modifications often fail. Laparoscopic fundoplication is the procedure of choice for medically refractory GERD with excellent short-term results with respect to respiratory symptoms associated with GERD; however, long-term studies document a significant percentage of patients requiring ongoing acid suppression therapy.

4-month omalizumab efficacy outcomes for severe allergic asthma: the Dutch National Omalizumab in Asthma Registry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snelder, S. M.; Weersink, E. J. M.; Braunstahl, G. J.

2017-01-01

Background: Omalizumab is licensed as add-on therapy for patients with severe allergic asthma. Response is in most studies scored by the physician's global evaluation of treatment effectiveness (GETE). A good clinical and validated parameter for treatment response is currently missing. Also, there

Addressing unmet needs in understanding asthma mechanisms: From the European Asthma Research and Innovation Partnership (EARIP) Work Package (WP)2 collaborators.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Michael R; Saglani, Sejal; Schwarze, Jurgen; Skevaki, Chrysanthi; Smith, Jaclyn A; Ainsworth, Ben; Almond, Mark; Andreakos, Evangelos; Belvisi, Maria G; Chung, Kian Fan; Cookson, William; Cullinan, Paul; Hawrylowicz, Catherine; Lommatzsch, Marek; Jackson, David; Lutter, Rene; Marsland, Benjamin; Moffatt, Miriam; Thomas, Mike; Virchow, J Christian; Xanthou, Georgina; Edwards, Jessica; Walker, Samantha; Johnston, Sebastian L

2017-05-01

Asthma is a heterogeneous, complex disease with clinical phenotypes that incorporate persistent symptoms and acute exacerbations. It affects many millions of Europeans throughout their education and working lives and puts a heavy cost on European productivity. There is a wide spectrum of disease severity and control. Therapeutic advances have been slow despite greater understanding of basic mechanisms and the lack of satisfactory preventative and disease modifying management for asthma constitutes a significant unmet clinical need. Preventing, treating and ultimately curing asthma requires co-ordinated research and innovation across Europe. The European Asthma Research and Innovation Partnership (EARIP) is an FP7-funded programme which has taken a co-ordinated and integrated approach to analysing the future of asthma research and development. This report aims to identify the mechanistic areas in which investment is required to bring about significant improvements in asthma outcomes. Copyright ©ERS 2017.

A randomised clinical trial of feedback on inhaler adherence and technique in patients with severe uncontrolled asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, Imran; Greene, Garrett; MacHale, Elaine; Seheult, Jansen; Mokoka, Matshediso; D'Arcy, Shona; Taylor, Terence; Murphy, Desmond M; Hunt, Eoin; Lane, Stephen J; Diette, Gregory B; FitzGerald, J Mark; Boland, Fiona; Sartini Bhreathnach, Aoife; Cushen, Breda; Reilly, Richard B; Doyle, Frank; Costello, Richard W

2018-01-01

In severe asthma, poor control could reflect issues of medication adherence or inhaler technique, or that the condition is refractory. This study aimed to determine if an intervention with (bio)feedback on the features of inhaler use would identify refractory asthma and enhance inhaler technique and adherence.Patients with severe uncontrolled asthma were subjected to a stratified-by-site random block design. The intensive education group received repeated training in inhaler use, adherence and disease management. The intervention group received the same intervention, enhanced by (bio)feedback-guided training. The primary outcome was rate of actual inhaler adherence. Secondary outcomes included a pre-defined assessment of clinical outcome. Outcome assessors were blinded to group allocation. Data were analysed on an intention-to-treat and per-protocol basis.The mean rate of adherence during the third month in the (bio)feedback group (n=111) was higher than that in the enhanced education group (intention-to-treat, n=107; 73% versus 63%; 95% CI 2.8%-17.6%; p=0.02). By the end of the study, asthma was either stable or improved in 54 patients (38%); uncontrolled, but poorly adherent in 52 (35%); and uncontrolled, but adherent in 40 (27%).Repeated feedback significantly improved inhaler adherence. After a programme of adherence and inhaler technique assessment, only 40 patients (27%) were refractory and adherent, and might therefore need add-on therapy. Copyright ©ERS 2018.

Cannabis-Associated Asthma and Allergies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatkin, J M; Zani-Silva, L; Ferreira, I; Zamel, N

2017-09-18

Inhalation of cannabis smoke is its most common use and the pulmonary complications of its use may be the single most common form of drug-induced pulmonary disease worldwide. However, the role of cannabis consumption in asthma patients and allergic clinical situations still remains controversial. To review the evidence of asthma and allergic diseases associated with the use of marijuana, we conducted a search of English, Spanish, and Portuguese medical using the search terms asthma, allergy, marijuana, marihuana, and cannabis. Entries made between January 1970 and March 2017 were retrieved. Several papers have shown the relationship between marijuana use and increase in asthma and other allergic diseases symptoms, as well as the increased frequency of medical visits. This narrative review emphasizes the importance to consider cannabis as a precipitating factor for acute asthma and allergic attacks in clinical practice. Although smoking of marijuana may cause respiratory symptoms, there is a need for more studies to elucidate many aspects in allergic asthma patients, especially considering the long-term use of the drug. These patients should avoid using marijuana and be oriented about individual health risks, possible dangers of second-hand smoke exposure, underage use, safe storage, and the over smoking of marijuana.

Efficacy of long-term omalizumab therapy in patients with severe asthma.

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Saji, Junko; Yamamoto, Takahito; Arai, Motonaka; Mineshita, Masamichi; Miyazawa, Teruomi

2017-03-01

The efficacy of omalizumab, an anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody, has been studied in patients with severe bronchial asthma. We conducted a study to evaluate, on the basis of both objective and subjective measures, the efficacy of omalizumab as a long-term therapy in patients with severe and persistent asthma. Omalizumab was administered subcutaneously every two or four weeks. The results of pulmonary function tests, Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Asthma Health Questionnaire (AHQ)-33 scores, the dosage of methylprednisolone during the 12-month treatment period, and the number of emergency visits prior to the start of treatment with omalizumab were compared in patients pre- and post-treatment with omalizumab. Fourteen patients were enrolled in the study between June 2010 and February 2012. Ten patients completed the study. With omalizumab treatment, there was no improvement in lung function; however, the number of emergency visits (19.3 before treatment vs. 1.2 after treatment, p=0.020) and the dosage of methylprednisolone (871.5mg before treatment vs. 119.0mg after treatment, p=0.046) decreased significantly. ACT and AHQ-33 scores at 16 weeks after treatment were significantly better than baseline scores. Four patients continued treatment with omalizumab for four years, and a reduction in their corticosteroid usage was noted. Long-term omalizumab therapy in our patients was found to significantly reduce corticosteroid usage and the number of emergency visits. Long-term omalizumab therapy was effective and might have potential to reduce the frequency of asthma exacerbations. The trial has not been registered because it is not an intervention study. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fevipiprant in the treatment of asthma.

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White, Christobelle; Wright, Adam; Brightling, Christopher

2018-02-01

Asthma is common and in many, particularly those with more severe disease, there remains a substantial unmet need. Success with biologics targeting eosinophilic inflammation underscore the value of treating inflammation in asthma beyond corticosteroids. Fevipiprant (QAW039) is an oral treatment for asthma. It competitively and reversibly antagonises the prostaglandin D2 receptor 2 (DP2) expressed on inflammatory and structural cells. Areas covered: We reviewed fevipiprant's mode of action and efficacy against other current and emerging pharmacological interventions for moderate-to-severe asthma. We undertook a literature review using the PubMed/Medline database, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Clinical Trials website and from manufacturers' press releases with the search terms: 'QAW039', 'Fevipiprant', 'CRTH2 antagonists', 'DP2', 'DP1', 'monoclonal antibody', 'eosinophil' with 'asthma' plus the names of individual drugs. Three Phase 2 trials have been conducted and three Phase 3 trials (NCT02563067, NCT03052517, NCT02555683) are in progress. To date Fevipiprant's greatest success has been in targeting severe eosinophilic asthma. Expert opinion: Fevipiprant presents the possibility of a new orally active therapy for asthma. If successful in phase 3 trials it will have an enormous impact on the treatment paradigm for asthma and will potentially widen access for pre-biologic treatment to a larger population.

Assessment of the severity of asthma by an expert system. Description and evaluation.

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Redier, H; Daures, J P; Michel, C; Proudhon, H; Vervloet, D; Charpin, D; Marsac, J; Dusser, D; Brambilla, C; Wallaert, B

1995-02-01

Asthmaexpert, an expert system (ES), was produced at the special request of several clinicians in order to better understand the medical decisions made clinical experts in managing an asthmatic patient. We describe and evaluate this knowledge base, focusing mainly on assessment of the severity of asthma. After compiling data from a patient, Asthmaexpert assesses the severity of the disease and identifies the trigger factors involved, suggests any further investigations that may be required, and offers a treatment strategy. Implemented with Nexpert and Hypercard, it runs on a MacIntosh personal computer. The validation stage involved eight clinical experts who provided 20 case report forms (CRF) with their conclusions about management of asthma. The CRF were then programmed into the ES, which provided its own conclusions about the same subjects. Afterward, all the experts evaluated the conclusions given by ES or by their colleagues in a double-blind manner. One hundred twenty-seven CRF were available. The reliability of the experts' opinions was good, with a substantial consensus between them when assessing severity scores (kappa = 0.27 to 0.54). There was no difference in concordance of opinions on severity scores either between the experts who designed the system and ES or between the other experts and ES (weighted kappa = 0.72 and 0.69, respectively). Experts judged that the severity scores given by ES were as good as those proposed by their colleagues, and that the overall conclusions given by ES were as good as or better than those given by their colleagues. The conclusions drawn by ES were given a good rating.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cow milk induced allergies (CMA) and asthma in new born.

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Wang, W; Wu, H-W; Liu, J-F

2016-01-01

The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in childhood has increased in several industrialized countries since the second half of the twentieth century. In some countries, the prevalence is still rising, although in others it seems to have plateaued or even decreased. It has been suggested that environmental factors operating prenatally and in early life affect the development of asthma and allergic diseases. Particularly changes in microbial exposure are proposed to play an important role in the development and maturation of the immune system. Thus, the factors that affect microbial exposure, such as mode of delivery and the use of antibiotics, may influence the development of asthma and allergic diseases. Several studies have explored the associations between perinatal factors and children's use of antibiotics and the risk of asthma, with inconsistent findings. The present review article will be focused on the important findings related with factors responsible for above allergic reactions along with asthma in young infants. Also, the influence of cow milk intake will also be taken in account to cover the aspect of cow milk induced allergies and asthma in infants.

Occupational rhinitis and occupational asthma; one airway two diseases?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seed, M J; Gittins, M; De Vocht, F; Agius, R M.

2009-01-01

The concept of 'one airway, one disease' refers to the frequent comorbidity of asthma and rhinitis. However, only limited research has been done on this association for the diverse range of occupational respiratory sensitisers. The relative frequency of rhinitis was determined for the 15 respiratory sensitisers reported to cause at least 10 cases of rhinitis or asthma to The Health and Occupation Reporting (THOR) network between 1997 and 2006. Of 1408 cases, 1190 were sole diagnoses of asthma, 138 sole diagnoses of rhinitis and in 80 cases asthma coexisted with rhinitis. The six sensitisers for which rhinitis featured in over 15% of cases were all particulates and known to cause release of mast cell mediators, either directly or through IgE antibodies. Four of the other nine sensitisers often exist as vapours and only two have been consistently associated with IgE-mediated disease mechanisms. Particle size did not appear to correlate with the relative frequency of rhinitis. Despite its limitations this study would support the hypothesis that there are at least two mechanistic categories of respiratory sensitisation with rhinitis being relatively more common where the mechanism is IgE-mediated. Particulate nature may be another important factor to consider in future studies.

Asthma essentials

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Timothy Greene

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Asthma is a chronic, reversible obstructive disease that when in exacerbation can present to the emergency department in a spectrum of severity. Prompt recognition of the potentially severely ill asthmatic requires a careful history and physical exam while considering alternative diagnoses for the presenting symptoms. Early administration of salbutamol and corticosteroids is indicated in almost all patients with other medications such as ipratropium and magnesium and supportive modalities like BiPAP reserved for sicker patients. The global impact of asthma is increasing, especially amongst children. While the benign clinical presentation is most common and mortality has decreased in recent decades due to improved recognition and care, the ubiquity of the condition and frequent lack of regular outpatient management contribute to the disease claiming 250,000 lives worldwide annually. The emergency physician must be prepared to assess and appropriately manage both the young child with a mild wheeze and the adult in respiratory failure.

[Control of asthma symptoms and cellular markers of inflammation in induced sputum in children and adolescents with chronic asthma].

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Ciółkowski, Janusz; Stasiowska, Barbara; Mazurek, Henryk

2009-03-01

After the GINA 2006 publication, asthma therapy is based on control of symptoms. However there are suggestions of monitoring of airway inflammation. Aim of the study was to compare clinical criteria of asthma control with cellular markers of lower airway inflammation in induced sputum in a group of young asthmatics. To assess relationship between sputum eosinophilia, asthma severity and spirometry. A group of 154 young patients with chronic asthma (8-21 years) underwent sputum induction by inhalation of 4,5% saline solution. Sputum induction was effective in 121 patients (78%), and in this group control of clinical symptoms was assessed according to GINA 2006 criteria. Asthma was controlled in 82 subjects (67.8%) and uncontrolled in 39 (32.2%). Patients with controlled asthma had higher FEV1/FVC (79.8 +/- 7.1% vs 74.2 +/- 9.9%; p = 0.004) and MMEF (80.7 +/- 23.0% vs 65.3 +/- 21.8%; p 3%) was observed in 24.4% of patients with controlled asthma and in 61.5% with uncontrolled asthma (p astma than in patients with moderate-severe disease (3.1 +/- 5.7% vs 7.1% +/- 8.8; p = 0.006). Patients with high sputum eosinophil count had lower FEV1 (89.4 +/- 14.9% vs 94.9 +/- 13.9%; p = 0.047), FEV1/FVC (74.5 +/- 10.1% vs 79.2 +/- 9.3%; p = 0.01) and MMEF (68.7 +/- 23.3% vs 81.7 +/- 23.1%; p = 0.004). In this study of young asthmatics, control of asthma symptoms was observed in 67.8% of patients. However, cellular markers of lower airway inflammation were present in 1/4 of patients with controlled asthma and in 3/4 with uncontrolled disease. Sputum eosinophilia was related to asthma severity. FEV1/FVC and MMEF were more important that FEV1 for estimating control of asthma. Improvement of asthma control scoring is needed as well as availability of simple methods of inflammation monitoring.

Asthma referrals: a key component of asthma management that needs to be addressed

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Price D

2017-07-01

Full Text Available David Price,1,2 Leif Bjermer,3 David A Bergin,4 Rafael Martinez5 1Centre of Academic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK; 2Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore; 3Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; 4Novartis Ireland Limited, Dublin, Ireland; 5Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland Abstract: Heterogeneity of asthma and difficulty in achieving optimal control are the major challenges in the management of asthma. To help attain the best possible clinical outcomes in patients with asthma, several guidelines provide recommendations for patients who will require a referral to a specialist. Such referrals can help in clearing the uncertainty from the initial diagnosis, provide tailored treatment options to patients with persistent symptoms and offer the patients access to health care providers with expertise in the management of the asthma; thus, specialist referrals have a substantial impact on disease prognosis and the patient’s health status. Hurdles in implementing these recommendations include lack of their dissemination among health care providers and nonadherence to these guidelines; these hurdles considerably limit the implementation of specialist referrals, eventually affecting the rate of referrals. In this review, recommendations for specialist referrals from several key international and national asthma guidelines and other relevant published literature are evaluated. Furthermore, we highlight why referrals are not happening, how this can be improved, and ultimately, what should be done in the specialist setting, based on existing evidence in published literature. Keywords: asthma, disease management, specialization, primary care physicians, referral

Investigating the Possibility to Individualize Asthma Attack Therapy Based on Attack Severity and Patient Characteristics

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Sárkány Zoltán

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate with the help of a computerized simulation model whether the treatment of an acute asthma attack can be individualized based on the severity of the attack and the characteristics of the patient. Material and Method: A stochastic lung model was used to simulate the deposition of 1 nm - 10 μm particles during a mild and a moderate asthma attack. Breathing parameters were varied to maximize deposition, and simulation results were compared with those obtained in the case of a severe asthma attack. In order to investigate the effect of height on the deposition of inhaled particles, another series of simulations was carried out with identical breathing parameters, comparing patient heights of 155 cm, 175 cm and 195 cm. Results: The optimization process yielded an increase in the maximum deposition values of around 6-7% for each type of investigated asthma attack, and the difference between attacks of different degree of severity was around 5% for both the initial and the optimized values, a higher degree of obstruction increasing the amount of deposited particles. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the individualization of asthma attack treatment cannot be based on particles of different size, as the highest deposited fraction in all three types of attacks can be obtained using 0.01 μm particles. The use of a specific set of breathing parameters yields a difference between a mild and a moderate, as well as a moderate and a severe asthma attack of around 5%.

Cost-Effectiveness of Bronchial Thermoplasty, Omalizumab, and Standard Therapy for Moderate-to-Severe Allergic Asthma.

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Zafari, Zafar; Sadatsafavi, Mohsen; Marra, Carlo A; Chen, Wenjia; FitzGerald, J Mark

2016-01-01

Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a recently developed treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. A few studies have suggested the clinical efficacy of this intervention. However, no study has evaluated the cost-effectiveness of BT compared to other alternative treatments for moderate-to-severe allergic asthma, which currently include omalizumab and standard therapy. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of standard therapy, BT, and omalizumab for moderate-to-severe allergic asthma in the USA. A probabilistic Markov model with weekly cycles was developed to reflect the course of asthma progression over a 5-year time horizon. The study population was adults with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma whose asthma remained uncontrolled despite using high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS, with or without long-acting beta-agonists [LABA]). A perspective of the health-care system was adopted with asthma-related costs as well as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and exacerbations as the outcomes. For standard therapy, BT, and omalizumab, the discounted 5-year costs and QALYs were $15,400 and 3.08, $28,100 and 3.24, and $117,000 and 3.26, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of BT versus standard therapy and omalizumab versus BT was $78,700/QALY and $3.86 million/QALY, respectively. At the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of $50,000/QALY and $100,000/QALY, the probability of BT being cost-effective was 9%, and 67%, respectively. The corresponding expected value of perfect information (EVPI) was $155 and $1,530 per individual at these thresholds. In sensitivity analyses, increasing the costs of BT from $14,900 to $30,000 increased its ICER relative to standard therapy to $178,000/QALY, and decreased the ICER of omalizumab relative to BT to $3.06 million/QALY. Reducing the costs of omalizumab by 25% decreased its ICER relative to BT by 29%. Based on the available evidence, our study suggests that there is more than 60% chance that BT becomes cost

Cost-Effectiveness of Bronchial Thermoplasty, Omalizumab, and Standard Therapy for Moderate-to-Severe Allergic Asthma.

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Zafar Zafari

Full Text Available Bronchial thermoplasty (BT is a recently developed treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. A few studies have suggested the clinical efficacy of this intervention. However, no study has evaluated the cost-effectiveness of BT compared to other alternative treatments for moderate-to-severe allergic asthma, which currently include omalizumab and standard therapy.To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of standard therapy, BT, and omalizumab for moderate-to-severe allergic asthma in the USA.A probabilistic Markov model with weekly cycles was developed to reflect the course of asthma progression over a 5-year time horizon. The study population was adults with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma whose asthma remained uncontrolled despite using high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS, with or without long-acting beta-agonists [LABA]. A perspective of the health-care system was adopted with asthma-related costs as well as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs and exacerbations as the outcomes.For standard therapy, BT, and omalizumab, the discounted 5-year costs and QALYs were $15,400 and 3.08, $28,100 and 3.24, and $117,000 and 3.26, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER of BT versus standard therapy and omalizumab versus BT was $78,700/QALY and $3.86 million/QALY, respectively. At the willingness-to-pay (WTP of $50,000/QALY and $100,000/QALY, the probability of BT being cost-effective was 9%, and 67%, respectively. The corresponding expected value of perfect information (EVPI was $155 and $1,530 per individual at these thresholds. In sensitivity analyses, increasing the costs of BT from $14,900 to $30,000 increased its ICER relative to standard therapy to $178,000/QALY, and decreased the ICER of omalizumab relative to BT to $3.06 million/QALY. Reducing the costs of omalizumab by 25% decreased its ICER relative to BT by 29%.Based on the available evidence, our study suggests that there is more than 60% chance that BT becomes

The Prevalence of Symptoms of Asthma and Allergic Diseases through ISSAC Method in Teenagers

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Jafar Hassanzadeh

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Asthma is the most important chronic disease in children and one of the causes of school absenteeism, which is getting more prevalent by the increase of environmental pollutants and industrial life. This study was planned and performed to estimate the prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009 on 3000 female and male students of first grade of guidance school, who were selected by multistage sampling. Data were collected by standard questionnaire and after data collection and entering ISSAC SPSS software the prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases was estimated. Statistical analysis was performed using χ2 statistical test at significance level of 0.05.Results: Prevalence of asthma, hives, eczema and atopic disease was respectively 3.8 percent, 10.4%, 18.3% and 42%. Prevalence of hives, eczema, atopic disease, watery eyes and wheezing after exercise in both genders showed a statistically significant difference (p 0.05Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that although the prevalence of asthma in Shirazi children is less than some other cities, the increased development of disease in recent years will be a threatening risk and this phenomenon requires serious attention and planning by authorities as well as health policymakers.

The Regional Asthma Disease Management Program (RADMP) for low income underserved children in rural western North Carolina: a National Asthma Control Initiative Demonstration Project.

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Shuler, Melinda S; Yeatts, Karin B; Russell, Donald W; Trees, Amy S; Sutherland, Susan E

2015-01-01

A substantial proportion of low-income children with asthma living in rural western North Carolina have suboptimal asthma management. To address the needs of these underserved children, we developed and implemented the Regional Asthma Disease Management Program (RADMP); RADMP was selected as one of 13 demonstration projects for the National Asthma Control Initiative (NACI). This observational intervention was conducted from 2009 to 2011 in 20 rural counties and the Eastern Band Cherokee Indian Reservation in western North Carolina. Community and individual intervention components included asthma education in-services and environmental assessments/remediation. The individual intervention also included clinical assessment and management. Environmental remediation was conducted in 13 childcare facilities and 50 homes; over 259 administrative staff received asthma education. Fifty children with mild to severe persistent asthma were followed for up to 2 years; 76% were enrolled in Medicaid. From 12-month pre-intervention to 12-month post-intervention, the total number of asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits decreased from 158 to 4 and hospital admissions from 62 to 1 (p < 0.0001). From baseline to intervention completion, lung function FVC, FEV1, FEF 25-75 increased by 7.2%, 13.2% and 21.1%, respectively (all p < 0.001), and average school absences dropped from 17 to 8.8 days. Healthcare cost avoided 12 months post-intervention were approximately $882,021. The RADMP program resulted in decreased ED visits, hospitalizations, school absences and improved lung function and eNO. This was the first NACI demonstration project to show substantial improvements in healthcare utilization and clinical outcomes among rural asthmatic children.

Episodes of asthma during pregnancy – link with a viral infection and treatment approaches

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Pertseva T.A.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Bronchial asthma (BA is the most common respiratory disease in pregnancy. About 20% of pregnant women experience asthma exacerbations of varying severity, while 5.8 % of them require hospitalization. Objective: to study asthma course during pregnancy by determining clinical and functional cha¬racteristics of the disease, taking into account presence of exacerbations and adherence to basic therapy (BT. Materials and methods: The study included 35 pregnant females (Me ± SD aged 31±5,28 years, gestational age – 34±6,69 weeks. Anamnestic and physical data, spirometry and assessment of asthma control using Control Asthma Test were conducted. Results: In the study group 71% of pregnant women suffered from aggravation of varying severity deve¬loping on the background of symptoms of respiratory tract infection. Here with commitment to BT before and during pregnancy significantly did not differ. Inconsistency of BT to severity of the disease in 25% of women with mild and in 36% with moderate asthma course was detected.

Contribution of hiatal hernia to asthma in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

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Li, Zhi-Tong; Ji, Feng; Han, Xin-Wei; Gu, Lin-Xia; Wang, Li; Yue, Yong-Qiang; Wang, Zhong-Gao

2018-05-01

To determine the correlation between asthma and hiatal hernia (HH) in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-related asthma requiring laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery. One hundred and thirty-six GERD patients with medically refractory asthma with (80 patients) or without HH (56 patients) were enrolled. Gastroesophageal reflux disease was assessed by endoscopy, esophageal manometry, reflux monitoring and symptom questionnaires, and treated with laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) or LNF with concomitant hiatal hernia repair (LNF-HHR). The outcome measures included patients' satisfaction and drug independence. The patients with HH had lower esophageal sphincters (P = .005) and higher DeMeester scores (P = .014) than those without HH. After an average follow-up of 24 months, symptom scores were significantly decreased from the preoperative values (P reflux, but also controlled asthma symptoms. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Polarization of neutrophils from patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome].

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Deng, Fan; Dong, Hangming; Zou, Mengchen; Zhao, Haijin; Cai, Chunqing; Cai, Shaoxi

2014-12-30

To explore the polarization of migration dynamics of neutrophils isolated from patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) compared with healthy smoking and non-smoking controls. Recruited volunteers were classified as healthy controls, healthy smokers, asthma, COPD and ACOS at Nanfang Hospital from April 2013 to June 2014 according to the Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD 2011, Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention 2011 and Consensus on Overlap Phenotype COPD-asthma in COPD 2012. Neutrophils were freshly isolated from whole blood with density gradient technique. The proportion of polarized cells with gradient concentration of formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP) in Zigmond chamber and vital component of Store Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE) (stromal interaction molecule (STIM) 1, 2 and Orai1) in neutrophils was detected by Western blot. Asthma, COPD and ACOS neutrophils demonstrated a higher spontaneous polarization rate versus healthy controls and healthy smokers ((25.05 ± 4.06)%, (16.20 ± 4.46)%, (29.43 ± 5.53)% vs (7.27 ± 0.99)%, (7.06 ± 3.12)%, all P polarization rate ((14.62 ± 2.26)%, (8.00 ± 1.75)%, all P polarization rate than healthy controls and healthy smokers ((2.45 ± 0.54)% vs (5.12 ± 1.28)%, (5.24 ± 1.34)%, all P vs 0.26 ± 0.14, 0.38 ± 0.12; STIM2: 0.52 ± 0.19, 0.22 ± 0.13, 0.24 ± 0.10 vs 0.05 ± 0.03, 0.10 ± 0.06; Orai1: 0.56 ± 0.04, 0.39 ± 0.05, 0.48 ± 0.05 vs 0.13 ± 0.04, 0.13 ± 0.03) (all P < 0.01). Asthma, COPD and ACOS neutrophils are intrinsically different than counterparts from healthy control subjects and healthy smokers. And vital components of SOCE from patient neutrophils are intrinsically up-regulated.

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide has a good correlation with asthma control and lung function in latino children with asthma.

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Soto-Ramos, Mario; Castro-Rodríguez, Jose A; Hinojos-Gallardo, Luis Carlos; Hernández-Saldaña, Raul; Cisneros-Castolo, Martin; Carrillo-Rodríguez, Victor

2013-08-01

Although the measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FE(NO)) has been recommended for observational studies and clinical trials of asthma, FE(NO) has not been examined in studies of childhood asthma in Latin America, To examine the relationship between FE(NO) and indicators of disease control or severity [asthma control test/childhood asthma control test (ACT/C-ACT), lung function, and exercise challenge test (ECT)] in Mexican children with persistent asthma, Children (6-18 years of age) with persistent asthma were consecutively recruited in a tertiary asthma clinic and divided into two groups, e.g. FE(NO) children, Children with FE(NO)children with FE(NO) ≥20 ppb, those with FE(NO) children with persistent asthma, low levels of FE(NO) ( asthma control, and higher lung function.

Respiratory muscle strength in children with mild bronchial asthma disease

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Kateřina Neumannová

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Respiratory muscle strength can be decreased in patients with asthma; however, it is not well-documented whether a mild bronchial asthma disease can affect respiratory muscle strength in children and can be associated with higher presence of breathing difficulties. Objective: The main aim of the present study was to compare respiratory muscle strength between children with asthma and age-matched healthy children. The next aim of this study was to assess the incidence of decreased respiratory muscle strength in children with asthma and healthy children and assess the effect of decreased respiratory muscle strength on the incidence of breathing difficulties. Methods: Children with mild bronchial asthma (n = 167 and age-matched, healthy children (n = 100 were recruited into this study. Pulmonary function tests, maximal inspiratory (PImax and expiratory (PEmax mouth pressures and the incidence of breathing difficulty were evaluated in children with asthma and healthy controls. Results: The inspiratory muscle strength was similar between children with asthma and healthy children. Conversely, the expiratory muscle strength was lower in asthmatic children. There was a statistically significant difference between girls with asthma and healthy girls (PEmax = 81.7 ± 29.8% vs. 100.1 ± 23.7% of predicted, p < .001. PEmax was significantly higher in boys with asthma than in girls with asthma (PEmax = 92.9 ± 26.4 % vs. 81.7 ± 29.8% of predicted, p = .03. A higher incidence of breathing difficulties during physical activity (uphill walking, running, swimming was confirmed in children with asthma with lower respiratory muscle strength. Conclusions: There was a higher prevalence of decreased expiratory muscle strength in children with asthma; therefore, respiratory muscle strength should be tested in these children, especially in those who are symptomatic.

Fibromyalgia as a cause of uncontrolled asthma: a case-control multicenter study.

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Martinez-Moragon, Eva; Plaza, Vicente; Torres, Isabel; Rosado, Ana; Urrutia, Isabel; Casas, Xavier; Hinojosa, Belen; Blanco-Aparicio, Marina; Delgado, Julio; Quirce, Santiago; Sabadell, Carles; Cebollero, Pilar; Muñoz-Fernández, Ana

2017-12-01

Fibromyalgia can affect the control of asthma when both diseases are present in a single patient. To characterize asthma in patients with concomitant fibromyalgia to assess whether fibromyalgia is an independent factor of asthma severity that influences poor asthma control. We also evaluated how dyspnea is perceived by patients in order to demonstrate that alterations in the perception of airway obstruction may be responsible for poor asthma control. This was a cross-sectional case-control multicenter study, in which 56 patients in the asthma and fibromyalgia group were matched to 36 asthmatics by sex, approximate age, and asthma severity level. All patients were women. Study variables included the Asthma Control Test (ACT), the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniAQLQ), the Nijmegen hyperventilation syndrome questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and perception of dyspnea after acute bronchoconstriction. Although patients in both study groups showed similar asthma severity and use of anti-asthmatic drugs, patients in the asthma and fibromyalgia group showed lower scores on the ACT and MiniAQLQ questionnaires, and higher scores of anxiety and depression as well as hyperventilation compared to asthma patients without fibromyalgia. All these differences were statistically significant. Fibromyalgia in patients with asthma influences poor control of the respiratory disease and is associated with altered perception of dyspnea, hyperventilation syndrome, high prevalence of depression and anxiety, and impaired quality of life. Fibromyalgia may be considered a risk factor for uncontrolled asthma in patients suffering from asthma and fibromyalgia concomitantly.

A new perspective on concepts of asthma severity and control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.R. Taylor; E.D. Bateman (Eric); L.P. Boulet; H.A. Boushey; W.W. Busse; T.B. Casale (Thomas); P. Chanez; P.L. Enright (Paul); P.G. Gibson; J.C. de Jongste (Johan); H.A. Kerstjens; S.C. Lazarus; M.L. Levy (Mark); P. O'byrne; M.R. Partridge; I.D. Pavord; M.R. Sears; P.J. Sterk (Peter); S.W. Stoloff; S.J. Szefler; S.D. Sullivan (Sean); M.D. Thomas; S.E. Wenzel; H.K. Reddel

2008-01-01

textabstractConcepts of asthma severity and control are important in the evaluation of patients and their response to treatment but the terminology is not standardised and the terms are often used interchangeably. This review, arising from the work of an American Thoracic Society/European

A new perspective on concepts of asthma severity and control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Taylor, D. R.; Bateman, E. D.; Boulet, L.-P.; Boushey, H. A.; Busse, W. W.; Casale, T. B.; Chanez, P.; Enright, P. L.; Gibson, P. G.; de Jongste, J. C.; Kerstjens, H. A. M.; Lazarus, S. C.; Levy, M. L.; O'Byrne, P. M.; Partridge, M. R.; Pavord, I. D.; Sears, M. R.; Sterk, P. J.; Stoloff, S. W.; Szefler, S. J.; Sullivan, S. D.; Thomas, M. D.; Wenzel, S. E.; Reddel, H. K.

2008-01-01

Concepts of asthma severity and control are important in the evaluation of patients and their response to treatment but the terminology is not standardised and the terms are often used interchangeably. This review, arising from the work of an American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society

A new perspective on concepts of asthma severity and control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Taylor, D. R.; Bateman, E. D.; Boulet, L-P.; Boushey, H. A.; Busse, W. W.; Casale, T. B.; Chanez, P.; Enright, P. L.; Gibson, P. G.; de Jongste, J. C.; Kerstjens, H. A. M.; Lazarus, S. C.; Levy, M. L.; O'Byrne, P. M.; Partridge, M. R.; Pavord, I. D.; Sears, M. R.; Sterk, P. J.; Stoloff, S. W.; Szefler, S. J.; Sullivan, S. D.; Thomas, M. D.; Wenzel, S. E.; Reddel, H. K.

Concepts of asthma severity and control are important in the evaluation of patients and their response to treatment but the terminology is not standardised and the terms are often used interchangeably. This review, arising from the work of an American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society

Electronic monitoring of adherence to inhaled corticosteroids: an essential tool in identifying severe asthma in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Jochmann, Anja; Artusio, Luca; Jamalzadeh, Angela; Nagakumar, Prasad; Delgado-Eckert, Edgar; Saglani, Sejal; Bush, Andrew; Frey, Urs; Fleming, Louise J

2017-12-01

International guidelines recommend that severe asthma can only be diagnosed after contributory factors, including adherence, have been addressed. Accurate assessment of adherence is difficult in clinical practice. We hypothesised that electronic monitoring in children would identify nonadherence, thus delineating the small number with true severe asthma.Asthmatic children already prescribed inhaled corticosteroids were prospectively recruited and persistence of adherence assessed using electronic monitoring devices. Spirometry, airway inflammation and asthma control were measured at the start and end of the monitoring period.93 children (62 male; median age 12.4 years) were monitored for a median of 92 days. Median (range) monitored adherence was 74% (21-99%). We identified four groups: 1) good adherence during monitoring with improved control, 24% (likely previous poor adherence); 2) good adherence with poor control, 18% (severe therapy-resistant asthma); 3) poor adherence with good control, 26% (likely overtreated); and 4) poor adherence with poor control, 32%. No clinical parameter prior to monitoring distinguished these groups.Electronic monitoring is a useful tool for identifying children in whom a step up in treatment is indicated. Different approaches are needed in those who are controlled when adherent or who are nonadherent. Electronic monitoring is essential in a paediatric severe asthma clinic. Copyright ©ERS 2017.

LINX®, a novel treatment for patients with refractory asthma complicated by gastroesophageal reflux disease: a case report.

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Sriratanaviriyakul, Narin; Kivler, Celeste; Vidovszky, Tamas J; Yoneda, Ken Y; Kenyon, Nicholas J; Murin, Susan; Louie, Samuel

2016-05-24

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is one of the most common comorbidities in patients with asthma. Gastroesophageal reflux disease can be linked to difficult-to-control asthma. Current management includes gastric acid suppression therapy and surgical antireflux procedures. The LINX® procedure is a novel surgical treatment for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease refractory to medical therapy. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of successful treatment of refractory asthma secondary to gastroesophageal reflux disease using the LINX® procedure. Our patient was a 22-year-old white woman who met the American Thoracic Society criteria for refractory asthma that had remained poorly controlled for 5 years despite progressive escalation to step 6 treatment as recommended by National Institutes of Health-National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines, including high-dose oral corticosteroids, high-dose inhaled corticosteroid plus long-acting β2-agonist, leukotriene receptor antagonist, and monthly omalizumab. Separate trials with azithromycin therapy and roflumilast did not improve her asthma control, nor did bronchial thermoplasty help. Additional consultations with two other university health systems left the patient with few treatment options for asthma, which included cyclophosphamide. Instead, the patient underwent a LINX® procedure after failure of maximal medical therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease with the additional aim of improving asthma control. After she underwent LINX® treatment, her asthma improved dramatically and was no longer refractory. She had normal exhaled nitric oxide levels and loss of peripheral eosinophilia after LINX® treatment. Prednisone was discontinued without loss of asthma control. The only immediate adverse effects due to the LINX® procedure were bloating, nausea, and vomiting. LINX® is a viable alternative to the Nissen fundoplication procedure for the treatment of patients with

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockade in severe persistent asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wenzel, Sally E.; Barnes, Peter J.; Bleecker, Eugene R.; Bousquet, Jean; Busse, William; Dahlén, Sven-Erik; Holgate, Stephen T.; Meyers, Deborah A.; Rabe, Klaus F.; Antczak, Adam; Baker, James; Horvath, Ildiko; Mark, Zsuzsanna; Bernstein, David; Kerwin, Edward; Schlenker-Herceg, Rozsa; Lo, Kim Hung; Watt, Rosemary; Barnathan, Elliot S.; Chanez, Pascal; Chanez, P.; Tunon-de-Lara, M.; Antczak, A.; Pierzchala, W.; Bukowczan, Z.; Trawinska, E.; Baker, J.; Wenzel, S. E.; Katial, R.; Bernstein, D.; Kerwin, E.; Bensch, G.; Castro, M.; Noonan, M.; Nayak, A.; Chupp, G.; Kline, J.; Busse, W.; Kavuru, M. S.; Lang, D.; Wolfe, R.; Baughman, R.; Korenblat, P.; Mansfield, L.; Bleecker, E.; Lisberg, E.; Liu, M.; Panettieri, R.; Spangenthal, S.; Bel, E. H.

2009-01-01

RATIONALE: The treatment effect of golimumab, a human monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, in severe persistent asthma is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety and efficacy of golimumab in a large population of patients with uncontrolled, severe persistent asthma.

Clinical experience with Omalizumab in a Portuguese severe asthma unit

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S. Alfarroba

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: It is widely recognized that asthma control is not always possible in patients with very severe asthma despite available treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Omalizumab on asthma control as an add‐on therapy in patients from the “Severe Asthma Outpatient Service” of Pulido Valente Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to assess asthma control by the ACT score and by GINA classification, frequency and severity of exacerbations, medication use and pulmonary function in patients treated with Omalizumab. Clinical information was collected from medical records from the start of treatment and at 6‐, 12‐ and 24‐month follow‐ups. Results: 26 patients started the treatment with Omalizumab, and all (100% were classified by GINA with uncontrolled asthma prior to treatment. Mean ACT score was 11.5. All the patients had treatment with fixed‐dose ICS and LABA and 34.6% also had an anti‐cholinergic inhaler. 42.3% of patients were also treated with oral glucocorticosteroids for control. Patients reported an average of 1.8 moderate and 3.1 severe exacerbations/year. Statistical differences were found at 6‐month follow‐up in most end‐points: GINA score improved: 60.9% of patients with partially controlled asthma and only 39.1% with uncontrolled asthma (Wilcoxon 0.00; ACT score improved to 19.52 (Wilcoxon 0.00; mean FEV1 improved to 76.7% (Wilcoxon 0.025; the proportion of patients requiring oral glucocorticosteroid therapy reduced to 17.4% (Wilcoxon 0.014; and the number of moderate and severe exacerbations also decreased to 1.04 and 1.83 respectively (Wilcoxon 0.007; Wilcoxon 0.002 respectively. Conclusions: The current analysis shows evidence that omalizumab is successful in improving asthma control as an add‐on therapy GINA step 5 treatment. Resumo: Introdução: Está bem documentado que o controlo de asma nem

Impacts of coexisting bronchial asthma on severe exacerbations in mild-to-moderate COPD: results from a national database

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Lee H

2016-04-01

prevalence of severe exacerbations and impact of asthma on severe exacerbations, especially in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD.Methods: Patients with mild-to-moderate COPD (≥40 years were extracted from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (2007–2012 and were linked to the national health insurance reimbursement database to obtain medical service utilization records.Results: Of the 2,397 patients with mild-to-moderate COPD, 111 (4.6% had severe exacerbations over the 6 years (0.012/person-year. Severe exacerbations were more frequent in the COPD patients with concomitant self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma compared with only COPD patients (P<0.001. A multiple logistic regression presented that asthma was an independent risk factor of severe exacerbations in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD regardless of adjustment for all possible confounding factors (adjusted odds ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.002–2.77, P=0.049. In addition, age, female, poor lung function, use of inhalers, and low EuroQoL five dimensions questionnaire index values were independently associated with severe exacerbation in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD.Conclusion: In this population-based study, the prevalence of severe exacerbations in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD was relatively low, compared with previous clinical interventional studies. Coexisting asthma significantly impacted the frequency of severe exacerbations in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD, suggesting application of an exacerbation preventive strategy in these patients. Keywords: bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute exacerbation

Exacerbations of asthma - A descriptive study of 425 severe exacerbations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tattersfield, AE; Postma, DS; Barnes, PJ; Svensson, K; Bauer, CA; O'Byrne, PM; Lofdahl, CG; Pauwels, RA; Ullman, A

The identification, prevention, and prompt treatment of exacerbations are major objectives of asthma management. We looked at change in PEF, symptoms, and use of rescue p-agonists during the 425 severe exacerbations that occurred during a 12-mo parallel group study (FACET) in which low and high

Eosinophilic Endotype of Asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Aleman, Fernando; Lim, Hui Fang; Nair, Parameswaran

2016-08-01

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease that can be classified into different clinical endotypes, depending on the type of airway inflammation, clinical severity, and response to treatment. This article focuses on the eosinophilic endotype of asthma, which is defined by the central role that eosinophils play in the pathophysiology of the condition. It is characterized by elevated sputum and/or blood eosinophils on at least 2 occasions and by a significant response to treatments that suppress eosinophilia. Histopathologic demonstration of eosinophils in the airways provides the most direct diagnosis of eosinophilic asthma; but it is invasive, thus, impractical in clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review article: gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

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Broers, C; Tack, J; Pauwels, A

2018-01-01

When gastro-oesophageal reflux is causing symptoms or lesions in the oesophagus, this is referred to as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD can manifest itself through typical symptoms (heartburn, regurgitation) or may lead to extra-oesophageal symptoms. Extra-oesophageal manifestations of GERD gained increasing attention over the last decade, especially respiratory disorders, because of the prevalent co-occurrence with GERD. The role of GERD in the pathogenesis of respiratory disorders has become a topic of intense discussion. To provide an overview of the current knowledge on the role of GERD in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PubMed was searched for relevant articles using the keywords: GERD, asthma, COPD, prevalence, treatment. Case reports were excluded, only English language articles were considered. Estimates for the prevalence of GERD in asthma range from 30% to 90%, compared to an average of 24% in controls. In COPD patients, the prevalence of GERD ranges from 19% to 78% compared to an average of 18% in controls. These data indicate an increased prevalence of GERD in patients with asthma and COPD, although causality is not established and GERD treatment yielded inconsistent effects. Literature supports GERD as a risk factor for COPD-exacerbations and a predictor of the 'frequent-exacerbator'-phenotype. Despite the high prevalence of GERD in asthma and COPD, a causal link is lacking. The results of anti-reflux therapy on pulmonary outcome are inconsistent and contradictory. Future studies will need to identify subgroups of asthmatics and COPD patients that may benefit from anti-reflux therapy (nocturnal or silent reflux). © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Trend in asthma severity in steroid naive asthmatic children in Benin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Asthma imposes heavy health burden on children and families worldwide. It is a chronic inflammatory airway disease and as such, treatment of the asthmatics is aimed at relieve of bronchoconstriction and inflammation. Until about a decade ago, emphasis was on the bronchoconstriction rather than the ...

Asthma and obesity: does weight loss improve asthma control? a systematic review

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Juel CTB

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Caroline Trunk-Black Juel,1 Zarqa Ali,1 Lisbeth Nilas,2 Charlotte Suppli Ulrik11Respiratory Section, Internal Medicine Unit, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hvidovre Hospital and University of Copenhagen, Hvidovre, DenmarkAim and methods: Obesity is a major health problem, and obesity is associated with a high incidence of asthma and poor asthma control. The aim of the present paper is to systematically review the current knowledge of the effect on overall asthma control of weight reduction in overweight and obese adults with asthma.Results: Weight loss in obese individuals with doctor-diagnosed asthma is associated with a 48%–100% remission of asthma symptoms and use of asthma medication. Published studies, furthermore, reveal that weight loss in obese asthmatics improves asthma control, and that especially surgically induced weight loss results in significant improvements in asthma severity, use of asthma medication, dyspnoea, exercise tolerance, and acute exacerbations, including hospitalizations due to asthma. Furthermore, weight loss in obese asthmatics is associated with improvements in level of lung function and airway responsiveness to inhaled methacholine, whereas no significant improvements have been observed in exhaled nitric oxide or other markers of eosinophilic airway inflammation.Conclusion: Overweight and obese adults with asthma experience a high symptomatic remission rate and significant improvements in asthma control, including objective measures of disease activity, after weight loss. Although these positive effects of weight loss on asthma-related health outcomes seem not to be accompanied by remission or improvements in markers of eosinophilic airway inflammation, it has potentially important implications for the future burden of asthma.Keywords: asthma, weight loss, diet, bariatric surgery, asthma control

Sputum transcriptomics reveal upregulation of IL-1 receptor family members in patients with severe asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rossios, Christos; Pavlidis, Stelios; Hoda, Uruj; Kuo, Chih-Hsi; Wiegman, Coen; Russell, Kirsty; Sun, Kai; Loza, Matthew J.; Baribaud, Frederic; Durham, Andrew L.; Ojo, Oluwaseun; Lutter, Rene; Rowe, Anthony; Bansal, Aruna; Auffray, Charles; Sousa, Ana; Corfield, Julie; Djukanovic, Ratko; Guo, Yike; Sterk, Peter J.; Chung, Kian Fan; Adcock, Ian M.

2018-01-01

Sputum analysis in asthmatic patients is used to define airway inflammatory processes and might guide therapy. We sought to determine differential gene and protein expression in sputum samples from patients with severe asthma (SA) compared with nonsmoking patients with mild/moderate asthma. Induced

Extracellular cyclophilin levels associate with parameters of asthma in phenotypic clusters.

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Stemmy, Erik J; Benton, Angela S; Lerner, Jennifer; Alcala, Sarah; Constant, Stephanie L; Freishtat, Robert J

2011-12-01

Leukocyte persistence during chronic (quiescent) phases of asthma is a major hallmark of the disease. The mechanisms regulating these persistent leukocyte populations are not clearly understood. An alternative family of chemoattracting proteins, cyclophilins (Cyps), has recently been shown to contribute to leukocyte recruitment in animal models of allergic asthma. The goals of this study were to determine whether Cyps are present in asthma patients during the chronic phase of the disease and to investigate whether levels of Cyps associate with clinical parameters of disease severity. Nasal wash samples from an urban cohort of 137 patients of age 6-20 years with physician-diagnosed asthma were examined for the presence of cyclophilin A (CypA), cyclophilin B (CypB), as well as several other classical chemokines. Linear, logistic, or ordinal regressions were performed to identify associations between Cyps, chemokines, and clinical parameters of asthma. The asthma cohort was further divided into previously established phenotypic clusters (cluster 1: n = 55; cluster 2: n = 31; and cluster 3: n = 51) and examined for associations. Levels of CypB in the asthma group were highly elevated compared to nonasthmatic controls, while a slight increase in Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (MCP-1) was also observed. CypA and MCP-1 were associated with levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP; a marker of eosinophil activation). Cluster-specific associations were found for CypA and CypB and clinical asthma parameters [e.g. forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) and ECP]. Cyps are present in nasal wash samples of asthma patients and may be a novel biomarker for clinical parameters of asthma severity.

Association of Food Allergies, Cow’s Milk Allergy, and Asthma With Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Gholam-Hossein Fallahi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available There are controversies on the association of childhood allergic diseases with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD. The aim of this study was to examine the association between food allergy, cow’s milk allergy (CMA, and asthma with pediatric IBD in Iranian population. This case-control study was conducted on 200 individuals less than 18-year-old (100 with IBD and 100 as control group. Medical records, clinical presentation, and laboratory and para-clinical findings related to food allergy, CMA, and asthma were reviewed for all participants in both groups and were recorded. Among 100 children with IBD, 40 had Crohn's disease, and 60 had ulcerative colitis. The frequency of food allergy, cow's milk allergy, and asthma in children with IBD was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.001. Asthma in children with Crohn's disease was significantly more prevalent than children with ulcerative colitis (P=0.008. Food allergy (OR: 22.1, 95% CI: 5.1-95.05, P<0.001, CMA (OR: 15, 95% CI: 3-67, P<0.001, and asthma (OR: 10, 95% CI: 3-37.05, P<0.001 were significantly associated with increased risk of IBD in children. Food allergy, CMA in infancy and asthma are more prevalent in children with different subtypes of IBD. The diagnosis of these risk factors is associated with increased risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

The association between phthalate exposure and asthma

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Ming-Ju Tsai

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway, characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness. It is a disabling disease with an increasing prevalence, resulting in heavy social and economic burdens worldwide. Humans are extensively exposed to phthalates, and many epidemiological studies have shown a relationship between phthalate exposure and asthma in recent decades. Earlier experimental studies focused on inflammatory cells, demonstrating the adjuvant effects, immunomodulatory effects, or immunosuppressive effects related to phthalate exposure. Recent studies have shown that phthalates may have a direct effect on airway epithelial cells and contribute to airway remodeling, which is the cardinal pathologic characteristic of chronic asthma, with a high correlation with disease severity. Through these efforts, phthalates have been recognized as important environmental factors in the pathogenesis of asthma, but further studies are still required to elucidate the detailed mechanism. This review discusses the current status of human exposure to phthalates in Taiwan and summarizes the epidemiological and experimental evidence related to the roles of phthalate exposure in the development of asthma and associated diseases.

February 2015 pulmonary case of the month: severe asthma

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Uppalapu S

2015-02-01

Full Text Available No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. History of present illness: A 50-year-old African-American woman with a history of asthma presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of shortness of breath for 2 weeks. She reported some chest tightness, wheezing and dry cough. She denied fever, chills, myalgias or arthralgias at the time of admission. PMH, SH and FH: In addition to asthma, she has a past medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and multiple sclerosis. She admitted to social smoking but states she quit 6 to 7 months ago. She denies alcohol, recreational drug use, or a family history of early coronary artery disease, strokes or cancers. Medications: montelukast 10 mg daily; salmeterol/fluticasone 250/50 inhaled twice a day; albuterol inhaler as needed for shortness of breath; metformin 500 mg bid; dimethyl fumarate 240 mg bid; omega 3 fish oil; calcium carbonate 600 mg daily; naproxen 500 mg bid; lisinopril 10 mg daily ...

Right ventricular function during acute exacerbation of severe equine asthma.

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Decloedt, A; Borowicz, H; Slowikowska, M; Chiers, K; van Loon, G; Niedzwiedz, A

2017-09-01

Pulmonary hypertension has been described in horses with severe equine asthma, but its effect on the right ventricle has not been fully elucidated. To evaluate right ventricular structure and function after a 1-week period of pulmonary hypertension secondary to acute exacerbation of severe equine asthma. Prospective study. A clinical episode of severe equine asthma was induced experimentally in six susceptible horses. Examinations in remission and on day 7 of the clinical episode included a physical examination with clinical scoring, echocardiography, arterial blood gas measurements, venous blood sampling for cardiac biomarkers, intracardiac pressure measurements, right ventricular and right atrial myocardial biopsies, airway endoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage. After 1 month of recovery, physical examination, echocardiography and cardiac biomarker analysis were repeated. Echocardiographic and pressure measurements were compared with those in 10 healthy control horses. All horses developed clinical signs of acute pulmonary obstruction. Right heart pressures increased significantly. Altered right ventricular function could be detected by tissue Doppler and speckle tracking echocardiography. Cardiac troponin concentrations did not increase significantly, but were highly elevated in one horse which exercised in the paddock prior to sampling. Focal neutrophil infiltration was present in two myocardial samples. Even in remission, asthmatic horses showed a thicker right ventricular wall, an increased left ventricular end-systolic eccentricity index at chordal level and decreased right ventricular longitudinal strain compared with controls. The induced clinical episode was rather mild and the number of horses was limited because of the invasive nature of the study. Pulmonary obstruction in asthmatic horses induces pulmonary hypertension with right ventricular structural and functional changes. © 2017 EVJ Ltd.

Obesity and Asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juel, Caroline Trunk-Black; Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli

2013-01-01

Asthma is more prevalent in obese compared with normal weight subjects. Our aim has been to review current knowledge of the impact of obesity on asthma severity, asthma control, and response to therapy.Several studies have shown that overweight and obesity is associated with more severe asthma...... and impaired quality of life compared with normal weight individuals. Furthermore, obesity is associated with poorer asthma control, as assessed by asthma control questionnaires, limitations in daily activities, breathlessness and wheezing, use of rescue medication, unscheduled doctor visits, emergency...... department visits, and hospitalizations for acute asthma. Studies of the impact of a high body mass index (BMI) on response to asthma therapy have, however, revealed conflicting results. Most studies show that overweight and obesity is associated with less favorable response to asthma therapy with regard...

Quantitative computed tomography measurements of emphysema for diagnosing asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome

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Xie, Mengshuang; Wang, Wei; Dou, Shuang; Cui, Liwei; Xiao, Wei

2016-01-01

Background The diagnostic criteria of asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) are controversial. Emphysema is characteristic of COPD and usually does not exist in typical asthma patients. Emphysema in patients with asthma suggests the coexistence of COPD. Quantitative computed tomography (CT) allows repeated evaluation of emphysema noninvasively. We investigated the value of quantitative CT measurements of emphysema in the diagnosis of ACOS. Methods This study included 404 participants; 151 asthma patients, 125 COPD patients, and 128 normal control subjects. All the participants underwent pulmonary function tests and a high-resolution CT scan. Emphysema measurements were taken with an Airway Inspector software. The asthma patients were divided into high and low emphysema index (EI) groups based on the percentage of low attenuation areas less than −950 Hounsfield units. The characteristics of asthma patients with high EI were compared with those having low EI or COPD. Results The normal value of percentage of low attenuation areas less than −950 Hounsfield units in Chinese aged >40 years was 2.79%±2.37%. COPD patients indicated more severe emphysema and more upper-zone-predominant distribution of emphysema than asthma patients or controls. Thirty-two (21.2%) of the 151 asthma patients had high EI. Compared with asthma patients with low EI, those with high EI were significantly older, more likely to be male, had more pack-years of smoking, had more upper-zone-predominant distribution of emphysema, and had greater airflow limitation. There were no significant differences in sex ratios, pack-years of smoking, airflow limitation, or emphysema distribution between asthma patients with high EI and COPD patients. A greater number of acute exacerbations were seen in asthma patients with high EI compared with those with low EI or COPD. Conclusion Asthma patients with high EI fulfill the features of ACOS, as described in the Global Initiative for Asthma and Global

Phagocytosis, bacterial killing, and cytokine activation of circulating blood neutrophils in horses with severe equine asthma and control horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanderstock, Johanne M; Lecours, Marie-Pier; Lavoie-Lamoureux, Annouck; Gottschalk, Marcelo; Segura, Mariela; Lavoie, Jean-Pierre; Jean, Daniel

2018-04-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate in vitro phagocytosis and bactericidal activity of circulating blood neutrophils in horses with severe equine asthma and control horses and to determine whether circulating blood neutrophils in horses with severe equine asthma have an increase in expression of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and the chemokine interleukin (IL)-8 and a decrease in expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in response to bacteria. ANIMALS 6 horses with severe equine asthma and 6 control horses. PROCEDURES Circulating blood neutrophils were isolated from horses with severe equine asthma and control horses. Phagocytosis was evaluated by use of flow cytometry. Bactericidal activity of circulating blood neutrophils was assessed by use of Streptococcus equi and Streptococcus zooepidemicus as targets, whereas the cytokine mRNA response was assessed by use of a quantitative PCR assay. RESULTS Circulating blood neutrophils from horses with severe equine asthma had significantly lower bactericidal activity toward S zooepidemicus but not toward S equi, compared with results for control horses. Phagocytosis and mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-10 were not different between groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINCAL RELEVANCE Impairment of bactericidal activity of circulating blood neutrophils in horses with severe equine asthma could contribute to an increased susceptibility to infections.

The contribution of twin studies to the understanding of the aetiology of asthma and atopic diseases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Simon F

2015-01-01

The prevalence of asthma and other atopic diseases has increased markedly during the past decades and the reasons for this are not fully understood. Asthma is still increasing in many parts of the world, notably in developing countries, and this emphasizes the importance of continuing research...... aimed at studying the aetiological factors of the disease and the causes of its increase in prevalence. Twin studies enable investigations into the genetic and environmental causes of individual variation in multifactorial diseases such as asthma. Thorough insight into these causes is important...... as this will ultimately guide the development of preventive strategies and targeted therapies. This review explores the contribution of twin studies to the understanding of the aetiology of asthma and atopic diseases....

Optimizing community-level surveillance data for pediatric asthma management

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Wande O. Benka-Coker

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Community-level approaches for pediatric asthma management rely on locally collected information derived primarily from two sources: claims records and school-based surveys. We combined claims and school-based surveillance data, and examined the asthma-related risk patterns among adolescent students.Symptom data collected from school-based asthma surveys conducted in Oakland, CA were used for case identification and determination of severity levels for students (high and low. Survey data were matched to Medicaid claims data for all asthma-related health care encounters for the year prior to the survey. We then employed recursive partitioning to develop classification trees that identified patterns of demographics and healthcare utilization associated with severity.A total of 561 students had complete matched data; 86.1% were classified as high-severity, and 13.9% as low-severity asthma. The classification tree consisted of eight subsets: three indicating high severity and five indicating low severity. The risk subsets highlighted varying combinations of non-specific demographic and socioeconomic predictors of asthma prevalence, morbidity and severity. For example, the subset with the highest class-prior probability (92.1% predicted high-severity asthma and consisted of students without prescribed rescue medication, but with at least one in-clinic nebulizer treatment. The predictive accuracy of the tree-based model was approximately 66.7%, with an estimated 91.1% of high-severity cases and 42.3% of low-severity cases correctly predicted.Our analysis draws on the strengths of two complementary datasets to provide community-level information on children with asthma, and demonstrates the utility of recursive partitioning methods to explore a combination of features that convey asthma severity. Keywords: Asthma, Classification, Risk stratification, Statistical data analysis, Disease management

Asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease: a multidisciplinary point of view.

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Solidoro, Paolo; Patrucco, Filippo; Fagoonee, Sharmila; Pellicano, Rinaldo

2017-08-01

Asthma and gastroesophageal reflux (GORD) are widespread and potentially coexisting diseases. Incidence and prevalence of concomitant asthma and GORD are highly variable among studies. This is mainly due to the heterogeneity of study designs. To explain a potential link, some pathophysiological anomaly has been proposed such as the altered pressure gradient between thorax and abdomen, the parasympathetic reflex, the heightened bronchial reactivity and chemical effects of microaspired gastric juice. An accurate diagnosis of asthma and GORD is pivotal in order to lead effective treatment and to reach a significant positive outcome, in terms of quality of life and respiratory function amelioration. Gastroenterological evaluation of GORD includes the empiric proton pump-inhibitors (PPIs) trial, the esophageal pH monitoring and endoscopic evaluation. Besides spirometric investigations, pulmonologist have more specific examens such as bronchoalveolar lavage and exhaled breath condensate. Actually, international recommendations regarding the management of asthma suggest the assessment of potential comorbidities, including the presence of GORD, mostly in children, only in patients with normal pulmonary functional tests with frequent respiratory symptoms, and in case of uncontrolled asthma. Symptomatic gastro-esophageal reflux patients should be treated, but those with uncontrolled asthma should not be treated with anti-reflux drugs unless they are symptomatic for reflux. This review explores the state of the art about the pathogenesis and the management of the relationship between asthma and GORD.

Prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux disease in patients with difficult to control asthma and effect of proton pump inhibitor therapy on asthma symptoms, reflux symptoms, pulmonary function and requirement for asthma medications.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandur, V; Murugesh, M; Banait, V; Rathi, P M; Bhatia, S J; Joshi, J M; Kate, A

2014-01-01

The hypothesis that GER can trigger or exacerbate asthma is supported by several clinical trials that have shown amelioration in asthma symptoms and/or an improvement in pulmonary function after antireflux therapy. To investigate the prevalence of GER in patients with difficult to control asthma and to determine the effect of omeprazole on asthma symptoms, reflux symptoms, pulmonary function and on the requirement of asthma medications. Patients with difficult to control asthma were recruited into the study. All patients underwent esophageal manometry and 24 hour esophageal pH monitoring. Pulmonary function tests were done before and after treatment. The severity of asthma and reflux was assessed by a 1 week pulmonary symptom score(PSS) and reflux symptom score(RSS) respectively before and after treatment. Those who had an abnormal pH study (pH 5% of the time) underwent anti-GER treatment with lifestyle changes, and a proton pump inhibitor (omeprazole 40 mg, bid) for 3 months. Asthma medications were added or deleted based on severity of asthma. Out of 250 asthmatic patients screened, forty patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Twenty eight of 40 patients(70%) were diagnosed to have GERD. Of the patients 28 with GER, 8 patients(28.5%) had no reflux symptoms. On 24 hr pH metry, the percentage time pH reflux symptom score(RSS) improved from 22.39 ± 14.99 to 1.04 ± 1.07, pulmonary symptom score(PSS) improved from 27.14 ± 7.49 to 13.82 ± 4.21 and night time asthma symptom score(NASS) improved from 6.71 ± 1.80 to 3.04 ± 1.23 (p-value <0.0001). After treatment, FEV1 and PEFR increased from 1.38 ± 0.57 and 4.14 ± 1.97 to 1.47 ± 0.54 and 5.56 ± 1.72, respectively (p-value 0.00114). PPI therapy improves nocturnal asthma symptoms, daytime asthma symptoms, pulmonary function and decreases requirement of asthma medications in these patients.

Increase in prevalence and severity of asthma in young adults in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ejvind Frausing; Rappeport, Y; Vestbo, Jørgen

2000-01-01

BACKGROUND: It is the general impression that the prevalence of asthma has increased during recent decades. A study was undertaken to investigate asthma prevalence, respiratory symptoms, and lung function in young adults in the City of Copenhagen 15 years apart. METHODS: Men and women aged 20......-35 years were sampled from the general population living in a defined area of central Copenhagen. The first examination took place in 1976-8 and comprised 1034 subjects (response rate 67.2%). A new sample comprising 1104 subjects (response rate 62.6%) from exactly the same area was examined 15 years later...... in 1991-4. All participants answered a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and diseases and performed spirometric tests with measurement of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) and forced vital capacity (FVC). RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported asthma increased from 1.5% in the first...

Flavonoids and Asthma

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Toshio; Takahashi, Ryo

2013-01-01

Asthma is a chronic disease, characterized by airway inflammation, airflow limitation, hyper-reactivity and airway remodeling. It is believed that asthma is caused by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The prevalence of allergic diseases, including asthma, has increased worldwide during the past two decades. Although the precise reasons that have caused this increase remain unknown, dietary change is thought to be one of the environmental factors. Flavonoids, which are polyphenolic plant secondary metabolites ubiquitously present in vegetables, fruits and beverages, possess antioxidant and anti-allergic traits, as well as immune-modulating activities. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants and anti-allergic nutrients that inhibit the release of chemical mediators, synthesis of Th2 type cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, and CD40 ligand expression by high-affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor-expressing cells, such as mast cells and basophils. They also inhibit IL-4-induced signal transduction and affect the differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells into effector T-cells through their inhibitory effect on the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Various studies of flavonoids in asthmatic animal models have demonstrated their beneficial effects. The results of several epidemiological studies suggest that an increase in flavonoid intake is beneficial for asthma. Moreover, clinical trials of flavonoids have shown their ameliorative effects on symptoms related to asthma. However, these human studies are currently limited; further validation is required to clarify whether an appropriate intake of flavonoids may constitute dietary treatment and for part of a preventive strategy for asthma. PMID:23752494

Clinical characteristics of children and adolescents with severe therapy-resistant asthma in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Mendonça Rodrigues

2015-08-01

Full Text Available AbstractObjective: To describe the clinical characteristics, lung function, radiological findings, and the inflammatory cell profile in induced sputum in children and adolescents with severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA treated at a referral center in southern Brazil.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed children and adolescents (3-18 years of age with uncontrolled STRA treated with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2 agonists. We prospectively collected data on disease control, lung function, skin test reactivity to allergens, the inflammatory cell profile in induced sputum, chest CT findings, and esophageal pH monitoring results.Results: We analyzed 21 patients (mean age, 9.2 ± 2.98 years. Of those, 18 (86% were atopic. Most had uncontrolled asthma and near-normal baseline lung function. In 4 and 7, induced sputum was found to be eosinophilic and neutrophilic, respectively; the inflammatory cell profile in induced sputum having changed in 67% of those in whom induced sputum analysis was repeated. Of the 8 patients receiving treatment with omalizumab (an anti-IgE antibody, 7 (87.5% showed significant improvement in quality of life, as well as significant reductions in the numbers of exacerbations and hospitalizations.Conclusions: Children with STRA present with near-normal lung function and a variable airway inflammatory pattern during clinical follow-up, showing a significant clinical response to omalizumab. In children, STRA differs from that seen in adults, further studies being required in order to gain a better understanding of the disease mechanisms.

Phytoceuticals: the new 'physic garden' for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

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Grandhi, Sumalatha; Donnelly, Louise E; Rogers, Duncan F

2007-10-01

Phytoceuticals (non-nutritional but beneficial plant chemicals) merit investigation as pharmacotherapy for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although asthma is mostly treated adequately, COPD is not. Thus, there is a need for new drugs with improved therapeutic benefit, especially in COPD. Recent interest in herbal remedies has redirected attention towards plants as sources of improved treatments for lung disease. Phytoceuticals from a variety of plants and plant products, including butterbur, English ivy, apples, chocolate, green tea and red wine, demonstrate broad-spectrum pharmacotherapeutic activities that could be exploited in the clinic. Well-designed clinical trials are required to determine whether these beneficial activities are reproduced in patients, with the prospect that phytoceuticals are the new physic garden for asthma and COPD.

Diagnosis of asthma: diagnostic testing.

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Brigham, Emily P; West, Natalie E

2015-09-01

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease, encompassing both atopic and non-atopic phenotypes. Diagnosis of asthma is based on the combined presence of typical symptoms and objective tests of lung function. Objective diagnostic testing consists of 2 components: (1) demonstration of airway obstruction, and (2) documentation of variability in degree of obstruction. A review of current guidelines and literature was performed regarding diagnostic testing for asthma. Spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility testing remains the mainstay of asthma diagnostic testing for children and adults. Repetition of the test over several time points may be necessary to confirm airway obstruction and variability thereof. Repeated peak flow measurement is relatively simple to implement in a clinical and home setting. Bronchial challenge testing is reserved for patients in whom the aforementioned testing has been unrevealing but clinical suspicion remains, though is associated with low specificity. Demonstration of eosinophilic inflammation, via fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurement, or atopy, may be supportive of atopic asthma, though diagnostic utility is limited particularly in nonatopic asthma. All efforts should be made to confirm the diagnosis of asthma in those who are being presumptively treated but have not had objective measurements of variability in the degree of obstruction. Multiple testing modalities are available for objective confirmation of airway obstruction and variability thereof, consistent with a diagnosis of asthma in the appropriate clinical context. Providers should be aware that both these characteristics may be present in other disease states, and may not be specific to a diagnosis of asthma. © 2015 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

The level of specialist assessment of adult asthma is influenced by patient age

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Porsbjerg, C; Sverrild, A; Stensen, L

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Late onset asthma is associated with more severe disease and higher morbidity than in younger asthma patients. This may in part relate to under recognition of asthma in older adults, but evidence on the impact of patient age on diagnostic assessment of asthma in a specialist setting...

Anaesthesia in aspirin-induced asthma.

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Celiker, V; Basgül, E

2003-01-01

The triad of bronchial asthma, nasal polyposis, and intolerance to aspirin and aspirin-like chemicals are designated aspirin-induced asthma (AIA) or Samter's syndrome. The exact mechanism of the disease is unknown but it is thought to be a disorder of arachidonic acid metabolism. These patients are frequently referred to allergy clinics for preoperative evaluation for possible anesthetic agent sensitivity, requiring anesthesia for nasal polypectomy or several other reasons. Anesthetists must be aware of their pulmonary dysfunction, because the anesthetic management of asthma requires a specific approach. Marked cross-sensitivity with NSAIDs, which may also precipitate severe bronchospasm and adverse reactions, is the main problem faced by anesthetists in postoperative pain management. This article discusses the relationship between AIA and anesthesia. We also present our experience with 47 patients diagnosed with AIA between 1991 and 2003 in the department of chest diseases and adult allergy unit who underwent surgery requiring general anesthesia. In conclusion, preoperative evaluation of these patients and collaboration between the allergists and anesthesiologists is essential to prevent preoperative, perioperative and postoperative complications.

Virus-induced exacerbations in asthma and COPD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daisuke eKurai

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is characterized by chronic airway inflammation and/or airflow limitation due to pulmonary emphysema. Chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema, and bronchial asthma may all be associated with airflow limitation; therefore, exacerbation of asthma may be associated with the pathophysiology of COPD. Furthermore, recent studies have suggested that the exacerbation of asthma, namely virus-induced asthma, may be associated with a wide variety of respiratory viruses.COPD and asthma have different underlying pathophysiological processes and thus require individual therapies. Exacerbation of both COPD and asthma, which are basically defined and diagnosed by clinical symptoms, is associated with a rapid decline in lung function and increased mortality. Similar pathogens, including human rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus and coronavirus, are also frequently detected during exacerbation of asthma and/or COPD. Immune response to respiratory viral infections, which may be related to the severity of exacerbation in each disease, varies in patients with both COPD and asthma. In this regard, it is crucial to recognize and understand both the similarities and differences of clinical features in patients with COPD and/or asthma associated with respiratory viral infections, especially in the exacerbative stage.In relation to definition, epidemiology, and pathophysiology, this review aims to summarize current knowledge concerning exacerbation of both COPD and asthma by focusing on the clinical significance of associated respiratory virus infections.

Leveraging gene-environment interactions and endotypes for asthma gene discovery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bønnelykke, Klaus; Ober, Carole

2016-01-01

, such as childhood asthma with severe exacerbations, and on relevant exposures that are involved in gene-environment interactions (GEIs), such as rhinovirus infections, will improve detection of asthma genes and our understanding of the underlying mechanisms. We will discuss the challenges of considering GEIs......Asthma is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome that includes subtypes of disease with different underlying causes and disease mechanisms. Asthma is caused by a complex interaction between genes and environmental exposures; early-life exposures in particular play an important role. Asthma is also...... heritable, and a number of susceptibility variants have been discovered in genome-wide association studies, although the known risk alleles explain only a small proportion of the heritability. In this review, we present evidence supporting the hypothesis that focusing on more specific asthma phenotypes...

Manifesto on small airway involvement and management in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an Interasma (Global Asthma Association - GAA and World Allergy Organization (WAO document endorsed by Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA and Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Braido

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Evidence that enables us to identify, assess, and access the small airways in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD has led INTERASMA (Global Asthma Association and WAO to take a position on the role of the small airways in these diseases. Starting from an extensive literature review, both organizations developed, discussed, and approved the manifesto, which was subsequently approved and endorsed by the chairs of ARIA and GA2LEN. The manifesto describes the evidence gathered to date and defines and proposes issues on small airway involvement and management in asthma and COPD with the aim of challenging assumptions, fostering commitment, and bringing about change. The small airways (defined as those with an internal diameter <2 mm are involved in the pathogenesis of asthma and COPD and are the major determinant of airflow obstruction in these diseases. Various tests are available for the assessment of the small airways, and their results must be integrated to confirm a diagnosis of small airway dysfunction. In asthma and COPD, the small airways play a key role in attempts to achieve disease control and better outcomes. Small-particle inhaled formulations (defined as those that, owing to their size [usually <2 μm], ensure more extensive deposition in the lung periphery than large molecules have proved beneficial in patients with asthma and COPD, especially those in whom small airway involvement is predominant. Functional and biological tools capable of accurately assessing the lung periphery and more intensive use of currently available tools are necessary. In patients with suspected COPD or asthma, small airway involvement must be assessed using currently available tools. In patients with subotpimal disease control and/or functional or biological signs of disease activity, the role of small airway involvement should be assessed and treatment tailored. Therefore, the choice between large- and small-particle inhaled

The role of human rhinovirus (HRV) species on asthma exacerbation severity in children and adolescents.

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Lambert, Katrina A; Prendergast, Luke A; Dharmage, Shyamali C; Tang, Mimi; O'Sullivan, Molly; Tran, Thomas; Druce, Julian; Bardin, Philip; Abramson, Michael J; Erbas, Bircan

2017-10-11

It is recognized that human rhinovirus (HRV) infection is an important factor in asthma exacerbations requiring hospitalization in children. However, previous studies have disagreed on the differential impact of various HRV species. We sought to assess the impact of HRV species on the severity of asthma exacerbations in children and adolescents. We also examined whether the effect of HRV species on severity was modified by age and gender. Virus strain was determined for 113 children with HRV detectable at the time of admission for asthma exacerbation. Patient characteristics were collected on admission and exacerbation severity was scored using several validated scales. HRV species by itself was not associated with moderate/severe vs. mild exacerbations. Boys with HRV-C infections were more likely (OR: 3.7, 95% CI: 1.2-13.4) to have a moderate/severe exacerbation than girls with HRV-C (p = 0.04 for interaction term). Higher odds were observed in younger boys (3 years old: OR: 9.1, 95% CI: 1.8-47.1 vs 5 years old: OR: 3.3, 95% CI: 0.9-11.8 vs 7 years old: OR: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.2-6.6). In contrast, children with HRV-C infection and sensitized to pollen during the pollen season were less likely to have moderate/severe exacerbations (p = 0.01 for the interaction term). Acute asthma exacerbations are more likely to be moderate/severe in boys under 5 years of age who had HRV-C infection on admission. The opposite was found in children with sensitization to pollen during pollen season.

Risk factors precipitating exacerbations in adult asthma patients ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Research into asthma is proceeding at an unprecedented rate and yet we live with a disease that escalates in prevalence and severity, ... Data from Australia, Canada and Spain report that acute asthma accounted for 1 to 12% of all adult .... budesonide inhalers, oral theophylline, long-acting β2-agonists and.

Physical inactivity and obesity: relation to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

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ten Hacken, Nick H T

2009-12-01

Physical inactivity and obesity are modifiable risk factors for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and depression. Both physical inactivity and obesity are associated with low-grade systemic inflammation that may contribute to the inflammatory processes present in many chronic diseases. In asthma, almost no studies are available in which physical inactivity has been studied using performance-based instruments. In contrast, the association between obesity and a higher prevalence of asthma has often been suggested in a large number of studies. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) physical inactivity has been demonstrated in a few studies that used performance-based instruments; this was associated with the higher COPD Global Initiative on Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages and a higher degree of systemic inflammation, independent of body mass index. In contrast to physical inactivity, obesity in COPD is associated with the lower GOLD stages. Additionally, obesity is associated with the chronic obstructive phenotype and features of the metabolic syndrome. To elucidate the independent relation of physical inactivity and obesity with systemic inflammation, performance-based studies of physical inactivity in asthma and COPD are highly needed.

Increased body mass index predicts severity of asthma symptoms but not objective asthma traits in a large sample of asthmatics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bildstrup, Line; Backer, Vibeke; Thomsen, Simon Francis

2015-01-01

AIM: To examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and different indicators of asthma severity in a large community-based sample of Danish adolescents and adults. METHODS: A total of 1186 subjects, 14-44 years of age, who in a screening questionnaire had reported a history of airway...... symptoms suggestive of asthma and/or allergy, or who were taking any medication for these conditions were clinically examined. All participants were interviewed about respiratory symptoms and furthermore height and weight, skin test reactivity, lung function, and airway responsiveness were measured...

The protective effect of a beta 2 agonist against excessive airway narrowing in response to bronchoconstrictor stimuli in asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease.

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Bel, E. H.; Zwinderman, A. H.; Timmers, M. C.; Dijkman, J. H.; Sterk, P. J.

1991-01-01

Beta 2 agonists reduce airway hypersensitivity to bronchoconstrictor stimuli acutely in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease. To determine whether these drugs also protect against excessive airway narrowing, the effect of inhaled salbutamol on the position and shape of the dose-response curves for histamine or methacholine was investigated in 12 patients with asthma and 11 with chronic obstructive lung disease. After pretreatment with salbutamol (200 or 400 micrograms) or placebo in a double blind manner dose-response curves for inhaled histamine and methacholine were obtained by a standard method on six days in random order. Airway sensitivity was defined as the concentration of histamine or methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20). A maximal response plateau on the log dose-response curve was considered to be present if two or more data points for FEV1 fell within a 5% response range. In the absence of a plateau, the test was continued until a predetermined level of severe bronchoconstriction was reached. Salbutamol caused an acute increase in FEV1 (mean increase 11.5% predicted in asthma, 7.2% in chronic obstructive lung disease), and increase in PC20 (mean 15 fold in asthma, fivefold in chronic obstructive lung disease), and an increase in the slope of the dose-response curves in both groups. In subjects in whom a plateau of FEV1 response could be measured salbutamol did not change the level of the plateau. In subjects without a plateau salbutamol did not lead to the development of a plateau, despite achieving a median FEV1 of 44% predicted in asthma and 39% in chronic obstructive lung disease. These results show that, although beta 2 agonists acutely reduce the airway response to a given strength of bronchoconstrictor stimulus, they do not protect against excessive airflow obstruction if there is exposure to relatively strong stimuli. This, together with the steepening of the dose-response curve, could be a disadvantage of beta 2

[A case of severe asthma exacerbation complicated with cerebral edema and diffuse multiple cerebral micro-bleeds].

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Ohkura, Noriyuki; Fujimura, Masaki; Sakai, Asao; Fujita, Kentaro; Katayama, Nobuyuki

2009-08-01

A 36-year-old woman was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for the treatment of severe asthma exacerbation. Her condition of asthma improved with systemic glucocorticosteroids, inhaled beta2-agonist, intravenous theophylline and inhaled anesthesia (isoflurane) under mechanical ventilation. Her consciousness was disturbed even after terminating isoflurane. Brain CT and MRI scan showed cerebral edema and diffuse multiple cerebral micro-bleeds. Glyceol, a hyperosmotic diuretic solution consisting of 10% glycerol and 5% fructose in saline, was administered to decrease cerebral edema. Her consciousness disturbance gradually recovered. Cerebral edema and hemorrhage improved. On the 69th hospital day, she was discharged from hospital without sequelae. This case is a rare one in which severe asthma exacerbation was complicated with cerebral edema and diffuse multiple cerebral hemorrhage. Inhaled anesthesia for asthma exacerbation should be used carefully to avoid delay of diagnosis of central nervous system complications.

Impact of air pollution on respiratory diseases in children with recurrent wheezing or asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Esposito, Susanna; Galeone, Carlotta; Lelii, Mara; Longhi, Benedetta; Ascolese, Beatrice; Senatore, Laura; Prada, Elisabetta; Montinaro, Valentina; Malerba, Stefano; Patria, Maria Francesca; Principi, Nicola

2014-08-07

Air pollution has many negative health effects on the general population, especially children, subjects with underlying chronic disease and the elderly. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of traffic-related pollution on the exacerbation of asthma and development of respiratory infections in Italian children suffering from asthma or wheezing compared with healthy subjects and to estimate the association between incremental increases in principal pollutants and the incidence of respiratory symptoms. This prospective study enrolled 777 children aged 2 to 18 years (375 with recurrent wheezing or asthma and 402 healthy subjects). Over 12 months, parents filled out a daily clinical diary to report information about respiratory symptoms, type of medication used and healthcare utilization. Clinical data were combined with the results obtained using an air pollution monitoring system of the five most common pollutants. Among the 329 children with recurrent wheezing or asthma and 364 healthy subjects who completed follow-up, children with recurrent wheezing or asthma reported significantly more days of fever (p=0.005) and cough (ppollution and the development of asthma exacerbations and respiratory infections in children born to atopic parents and in those suffering from recurrent wheezing or asthma. These findings suggest that environmental control may be crucial for respiratory health in children with underlying respiratory disease.

Change in the manifestations of asthma and asthma-related traits in childhood: a latent transition analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Garden, Frances L; Simpson, Judy M; Mellis, Craig M; Marks, Guy B

2016-02-01

It is known that asthma is a heterogeneous entity whose manifestations vary with age. Our objective was to examine changes in the manifestation of asthma and asthma-related traits in childhood by defining empirically derived childhood asthma phenotypes and examining their transitions over time.To define the phenotypes we used data on respiratory symptoms, healthcare utilisation, medications, spirometry, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), exhaled nitric oxide concentration and atopy from a birth cohort recruited on the basis of having a first-degree relative with asthma. Data were acquired at ages 1.5-11.5 years and analysed using latent transition analysis.In a study population of 370 participants, we classified subjects into four phenotypes: 1) nonatopic, few symptoms (prevalence range from 1.5 to 5 years: 52-60%), 2) atopic, few symptoms (3-21%), 3) nonatopic, asthma and rhinitis symptoms (13-35%), and 4) atopic, asthma and rhinitis symptoms (2-14%) in early childhood; and 1) nonatopic, no respiratory disease (prevalence range from 8 to 11.5 years: 41-46%), 2) atopic, no respiratory disease (23-33%), 3) nonatopic, asthma symptoms, no AHR or airway inflammation (8-12%) and 4) atopic asthma (19%) in mid-childhood. Transitioning between phenotypes was common in early childhood, but less common in later childhood.This analysis represents the first attempt to incorporate longitudinal patterns of several manifestations of asthma into a single model to simultaneously define phenotypes and examine their transitions over time. It provides quantitative support for the view that asthma is a heterogeneous entity, and that some children with wheeze and other respiratory symptoms in early life progress to asthma in mid-childhood, while others become asymptomatic. Copyright ©ERS 2016.

Mortality among Subjects with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or Asthma at Two Respiratory Disease Clinics in Ontario

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murray M Finkelstein

2011-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD and asthma are common; however, mortality rates among individuals with these diseases are not well studied in North America.

Association of Blood Eosinophil and Blood Neutrophil Counts with Asthma Exacerbations in the Copenhagen General Population Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedel-Krogh, Signe; Nielsen, Sune Fallgaard; Lange, Peter

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Blood eosinophil count is a marker of eosinophilic airway inflammation and disease severity in asthma. However, blood neutrophil count might also be associated with disease severity. We tested the hypothesis that high blood eosinophil and neutrophil counts are both associated...... with the risk of asthma exacerbations among individuals with asthma from the general population. METHODS: From the Copenhagen General Population Study with 81351 participants, we included 4838 with self-reported asthma. We recorded baseline blood eosinophil and neutrophil counts, and asthma exacerbations during...... with blood eosinophil counts >0.29 × 10(9)/L (highest tertile) vs individuals with blood eosinophil counts

Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: moving beyond the asthma algorithm.

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Gordon, Erin; Lazarus, Stephen C

2009-11-01

For many years, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was considered a disease of fixed airflow obstruction for which there was no good treatment. Out of desperation and frustration, health care providers extrapolated from asthma to COPD, and standard asthma therapy was adopted without evidence for efficacy. In recent years, we have gained a better understanding of the pathophysiologic differences between asthma and COPD, and prospective controlled trials have provided a rationale for therapy. Smoking cessation is critically important, both as primary prevention and as an effective way to slow the decrease in lung function in patients with established disease. beta(2)-Adrenergic and anticholinergic agonists improve lung function and relieve symptoms in most patients. Tiotropium improves exercise tolerance and quality of life and reduces exacerbations and hospitalizations. The increase in lung function seen with tiotropium is sustained with continued use over at least 3 to 4 years. Inhaled corticosteroids decrease exacerbations and improve quality of life, and their effect seems greatest in patients with lower lung function and in exacerbation-prone patients. There is no evidence that inhaled corticosteroids alone affect mortality, despite the reduction in exacerbations and increased risk of pneumonia. In some patient populations, inhaled fluticasone, salmeterol, or the combination might slow the rate of loss of lung function. Rather than reflexively using effective asthma therapy in the patient with COPD, current and future therapy for COPD is increasingly evidence based and targeted to specific inflammatory pathways that are important in patients with COPD.

Experience from a group of adolescents with severe allergy asthma treatment with omalizumab

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hofbauer, Anne Marie Bro; Agertoft, Lone

2016-01-01

UNLABELLED: Theme: Complex health care and chronic disease management. BACKGROUND: Evidence supports that group educational interventions improve self-perception, self-confidence and attack management in asthma care. AIM: To evaluate education and structured dialogue in enhancing knowledge...

Asthma as a disruption in iron homeostasis | Science ...

Science.gov (United States)

Over several decades, asthma has evolved from being recognized as a single disease to include a diverse group of phenotypes with dissimilar natural histories, pathophysiologies, responses to treatment, and distinctive molecular pathways. With the application of Occam’s razor to asthma, it is proposed that there is one cause underlying the numerous phenotypes of this disease and that the responsible molecular pathway is a deficiency of iron in the lung tissues. This deficiency can be either absolute (e.g. asthma in the neonate and during both pregnancy and menstruation) or functional (e.g. asthma associated with infections, smoking, and obesity). Comparable associations between asthma co-morbidity (e.g. eczema, urticaria, restless leg syndrome, and pulmonary hypertension) with iron deficiency support such a shared mechanistic pathway. Therapies directed at asthma demonstrate a capacity to impact iron homeostasis, further strengthening the relationship. Finally, pathophysiologic events producing asthma, including inflammation, increases in Th2 cells, and muscle contraction, can correlate with iron availability. Recognition of a potential association between asthma and an absolute and/or functional iron deficiency suggests specific therapeutic interventions including inhaled iron. Asthma is a public health issue that has environmental triggers. Iron homeostasis is an essential mechanism whereby the body manages the impact of environmental agents on overall

The influence of sublingual immunotherapy on several parameters of immunological response in children suffering from atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis depending on asthma features.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciepiela, Olga; Zawadzka-Krajewska, Anna; Kotuła, Iwona; Demkow, Urszula

2014-01-01

The clinical efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has already been proven and is known to be high. Its influence on the immunological system of patients suffering from bronchial asthma was also examined. However, it is still unclear how the polysensitisation, coexistence of other atopic disease and asthma treatment step influence the response to treatment with specific immunotherapy. Herein we evaluate the impact of one-year SLIT on selected markers of immunological response depending on different individual and clinical factors of children suffering from atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis. Twenty-five patients aged 8.1 ± 3.1 years (range 5-15 years), 21 boys and 4 girls, suffering from asthma and allergic rhinitis with polysensitisation to seasonal and non-seasonal allergens, shortlisted for SLIT, were included in the study. Th1 cell and Th2 cell percentages, Bcl-2 expression in T cells, and basophil activation after allergen challenge (house dust mite and/or grass pollen antigen in solution used for skin prick tests) in peripheral blood were measured using flow cytometry. The association between clinical features of asthma and the influence of SLIT on immunological parameters was evaluated with exact Fisher test. No association between the influence of one-year sublingual immunotherapy on immunological system and patients' age, polysensitisation, asthma treatment step, or coexistence of any other atopic diseases was observed. However, an increase of the Th1 percentage in children sensitised against more than three allergens was found more often (at the limit of statistical significance) than in the group of children sensitised against three or less allergens. Based on our results, we cannot point to any subgroup isolated in the study, in which the response of the immunological system to sublingual immunotherapy is more satisfactory than any other. Nevertheless, the increase of Th1 cells may be more specific for polysensitised children.

Characteristics of asthma attack with long-term management for bronchial asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawahara, Noriko; Hasegawa, Shunji; Hashimoto, Kunio; Matsubara, Tomoyo; Ichiyama, Takashi; Furukawa, Susumu

2009-10-01

There have been no reports on the evaluation of the usefulness of long-term asthma management based on the Japanese Pediatric Guideline for the Treatment and Management of Bronchial Asthma 2005 (JPGL 2005). The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively investigate the records of 350 patients admitted to Yamaguchi University Hospital who had asthma attacks from January 2006 to June 2008. There were 149 patients who were treated for more than 3 months in accordance with the guideline (long-term management group) and 201 who were not (non-long-term management group). The patients were divided into three age groups: 100 infants, 159 toddlers, and 91 schoolchildren. The onset age of asthma in the long-term management group was earlier than that in the non-long-term management group in toddlers and schoolchildren. The white blood cell counts and C-reactive protein levels were higher in the non-long-term management group in schoolchildren, suggesting the complication of some infections. The severity of asthma in the long-term management group was greater than that in the non-long-term management group among all three age groups. There were no significant differences, however, in the severity of asthma attack at admission between the long-term and non-long-term management groups in the three age groups. Patients who had severe asthma tended to be treated with long-term management, which suggests that long-term asthma management according to JPGL 2005 may reduce the severity of asthma attack at that admission, because the severity of asthma in patients undergoing long-term management correlates with the severity of asthma attack.

Towards Excellence in Asthma Management: final report of an eight-year program aimed at reducing care gaps in asthma management in Quebec.

Science.gov (United States)

Boulet, Louis-Philippe; Dorval, E; Labrecque, M; Turgeon, M; Montague, T; Thivierge, R L

2008-09-01

Asthma care in Canada and around the world persistently falls short of optimal treatment. To optimize care, a systematic approach to identifying such shortfalls or 'care gaps', in which all stakeholders of the health care system (including patients) are involved, was proposed. Several projects of a multipartner, multidisciplinary disease management program, developed to optimize asthma care in Quebec, was conducted in a period of eight years. First, two population maps were produced to identify regional variations in asthma-related morbidity and to prioritize interventions for improving treatment. Second, current care was evaluated in a physician-patient cohort, confirming the many care gaps in asthma management. Third, two series of peer-reviewed outcome studies, targeting high-risk populations and specific asthma care gaps, were conducted. Finally, a process to integrate the best interventions into the health care system and an agenda for further research on optimal asthma management were proposed. Key observations from these studies included the identification of specific patterns of noncompliance in using inhaled corticosteroids, the failure of increased access to spirometry in asthma education centres to increase the number of education referrals, the transient improvement in educational abilities of nurses involved with an asthma hotline telephone service, and the beneficial effects of practice tools aimed at facilitating the assessment of asthma control and treatment needs by general practitioners. Disease management programs such as Towards Excellence in Asthma Management can provide valuable information on optimal strategies for improving treatment of asthma and other chronic diseases by identifying care gaps, improving guidelines implementation and optimizing care.

meQTL analysis of asthma GWAS loci and DNA methylation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kumar, Ashish; Soderhall, Cilla; Merid, Simon Kebede; Xu, Chengjian; Koppelman, Gerard; Melen, Erik; Gruzieva, Olena; Kere, Juha; Pershagen, Goran

2016-01-01

Background: Asthma is characterized as a chronic inflammation disease and has increased in prevalence over the decades. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with varying risk estimates for asthma, but the etiology is still not fully

Adipose tissue content and distribution in children and adolescents with bronchial asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Umławska, Wioleta

2015-02-01

The excess of adipose tissue and the pattern of adipose tissue distribution in the body seem to play an important role in the complicated dependencies between obesity and risk of developing asthma. The aim of the present study was to determine nutritional status in children and adolescents with bronchial asthma with special emphasis on adipose tissue distribution evaluated on the basis of skin-fold thicknesses, and to determine the relationships between patterns of adipose tissue distribution and the course of the disease. Anthropometric data on height, weight, circumferences and skin-fold thicknesses were extracted from the medical histories of 261 children diagnosed with asthma bronchitis. Values for children with asthma were compared to Polish national growth reference charts. Distribution of subcutaneous adipose tissue was evaluated using principal components analysis (PCA). Multivariate linear regression analyses tested the effect of three factors on subcutaneous adipose tissue distribution: type of asthma, the severity of the disease and the duration of the disease. Mean body height in the children examined in this study was lower than in their healthy peers. Mean BMI and skin-fold thicknesses were significantly higher and lean body mass was lower in the study group. Excess body fat was noted, especially in girls. Adipose tissue was preferentially deposited in the trunk in girls with severe asthma, as well as in those who had been suffering from asthma for a longer time. The type of asthma, atopic or non-atopic, had no observable effect on subcutaneous adipose tissue distribution in children examined. The data suggest that long-treated subjects and those with severe bronchial asthma accumulate more adipose tissue on the trunk. It is important to regularly monitor nutritional status in children with asthma, especially in those receiving high doses of systemic or inhaled glucocorticosteroids, and long-term treatment as well. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All

Variation of Asthma Symptoms Perception | Lutfi | Sudan Journal of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Asthmatic patients may perceive their symptoms inadequately putting them at a risk of a fatal attack because the severity of an exacerbation may be underestimated. The present study is intended to detect if disease duration affects the perception of asthma symptoms. The relation between asthma activity and ...

Asthma in General practice: risk factors and asthma control.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieuwenhof, L. van den

2009-01-01

Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory, pulmonary disease with a significant impact on patients, their families, and society. When symptomatic asthma is diagnosed, often irreversible changes in the airways have occurred. Therefore it is important to detect persons at high risk of asthma as early as

Risk of Periodontal Disease in Patients With Asthma: A Nationwide Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Te-Chun; Chang, Pei-Ying; Lin, Cheng-Li; Wei, Chang-Ching; Tu, Chih-Yen; Hsia, Te-Chun; Shih, Chuen-Ming; Hsu, Wu-Huei; Sung, Fung-Chang; Kao, Chia-Hung

2017-08-01

Studies have reported an association between asthma and oral diseases, including periodontal diseases. The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate risk of periodontal diseases for patients with asthma. Using the claims data of National Health Insurance of Taiwan and patients without a history of periodontal diseases, 19,206 asthmatic patients, who were newly diagnosed from 2000 through 2010, were identified. For each case, four comparison individuals without history of asthma and periodontal disease were randomly selected from the general population and frequency matched (categorical matched) by sex, age, and year of diagnosis (n = 76,824). Both cohorts were followed to the end of 2011 to monitor occurrence of periodontal diseases. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of periodontal disease were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Overall incidence of periodontal diseases was 1.18-fold greater in the asthma cohort than in the comparison cohort (P periodontal diseases compared with those with a mean of less than one visit. Patients with at least three admissions annually also had a similar aHR (51.8) for periodontal disease. In addition, asthmatic patients on inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy had greater aHRs than non-users (aHR = 1.12; 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.23). In the studied population, asthmatic patients are at an elevated risk of developing periodontal diseases. The risk is much greater for those with emergency medical demands or hospital admissions and those on ICS treatment.

Utility of serum periostin in combination with exhaled nitric oxide in the management of asthma

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Tadao Nagasaki

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Type-2/eosinophilic inflammation plays a pivotal role in asthma. The identification of severe type-2/eosinophilic asthma is important for improving the management of patients with asthma. Therefore, efforts to develop non-invasive biomarkers for type-2/eosinophilic airway inflammation have been made during this decade. Currently, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO and serum periostin levels are considered markers of type-2/eosinophilic inflammation in asthma. However, a single-marker approach has limited the ability to diagnose severe type-2/eosinophilic asthma accurately and predict disease outcomes precisely. The present article reviews the utility of FeNO and serum periostin levels in a single-marker approach and in a multiple-marker approach in identifying patients with severe type-2/eosinophilic asthma. Furthermore, based on a sub-analysis of the Kinki Hokuriku Airway disease Conference (KiHAC, geno-endo-phenotypes of patients were stratified into four groups according to the FeNO and serum periostin levels.

Role of leukotrienes in asthma pathophysiology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bisgaard, H

2000-01-01

Inflammation is an essential component of asthma pathophysiology. While beta(2)-agonists are often used for short-term relief of acute bronchospasm, anti-inflammatory agents are required for the long-term management of chronic inflammation in this disease. Corticosteroids have emerged as the first......-line anti-inflammatory therapy for asthma management. However, in some patients, especially children, the high doses of corticosteroids that may be required to control features of hyperresponsiveness, including exercise-induced asthma, raise safety concerns. Thus, there is a need for complementary anti......-inflammatory, steroid-sparing agents in asthma therapy. Several inflammatory mediators have been targeted in an attempt to thwart this inflammatory process, but so far with little success. The cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLT), LTC(4), LTD(4), and LTE(4), have been shown to be essential mediators in asthma, making them...

Cluster analysis of obesity and asthma phenotypes.

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E Rand Sutherland

Full Text Available Asthma is a heterogeneous disease with variability among patients in characteristics such as lung function, symptoms and control, body weight, markers of inflammation, and responsiveness to glucocorticoids (GC. Cluster analysis of well-characterized cohorts can advance understanding of disease subgroups in asthma and point to unsuspected disease mechanisms. We utilized an hypothesis-free cluster analytical approach to define the contribution of obesity and related variables to asthma phenotype.In a cohort of clinical trial participants (n = 250, minimum-variance hierarchical clustering was used to identify clinical and inflammatory biomarkers important in determining disease cluster membership in mild and moderate persistent asthmatics. In a subset of participants, GC sensitivity was assessed via expression of GC receptor alpha (GCRα and induction of MAP kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1 expression by dexamethasone. Four asthma clusters were identified, with body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2 and severity of asthma symptoms (AEQ score the most significant determinants of cluster membership (F = 57.1, p<0.0001 and F = 44.8, p<0.0001, respectively. Two clusters were composed of predominantly obese individuals; these two obese asthma clusters differed from one another with regard to age of asthma onset, measures of asthma symptoms (AEQ and control (ACQ, exhaled nitric oxide concentration (F(ENO and airway hyperresponsiveness (methacholine PC(20 but were similar with regard to measures of lung function (FEV(1 (% and FEV(1/FVC, airway eosinophilia, IgE, leptin, adiponectin and C-reactive protein (hsCRP. Members of obese clusters demonstrated evidence of reduced expression of GCRα, a finding which was correlated with a reduced induction of MKP-1 expression by dexamethasoneObesity is an important determinant of asthma phenotype in adults. There is heterogeneity in expression of clinical and inflammatory biomarkers of asthma across obese individuals

Environmental tobacco smoke and childhood asthma

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Dae Jin Song

2010-02-01

Full Text Available In recent years, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS has become an important worldwide public health issue. Children are particularly vulnerable to ETS because they are still developing. ETS exposure causes a wide range of adverse health effects on childhood asthma. There is convincing evidence that ETS exposure is causally associated with an increased prevalence of asthma, increased severity of asthma and worsening asthma control in children who already have the disease, even though a causal relationship with asthma onset is not yet established for asthma incidence. Mechanisms underlying these adverse effects of ETS are not clearly elucidated but e studies on this issue suggest that genetic susceptibility, impaired lung function, and augmented airway inflammation and remodeling may be involved. Children with asthma are just as likely to be exposed to ETS as children in general and there is no risk-free level of exposure. Therefore, providing a smoke-free environment may be of particular importance to the asthmatic children exposed to ETS who have adverse asthma outcomes, as well as to children with genetic susceptibility who are at increased risk of developing asthma upon exposure to ETS in early childhood.

Pediatric Interstitial Lung Disease Masquerading as Difficult Asthma: Management Dilemmas for Rare Lung Disease in Children

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EY Chan

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Idiopathic nontransplant-related childhood bronchiolitis obliterans is an uncommon disease. Most patients present with chronic recurrent dyspnea, cough and wheezing, which are also features of asthma, by far a much more common condition. The present case study reports on a six-year-old girl who presented to a tertiary care centre with recurrent episodes of respiratory distress on a background of baseline tachypnea, chronic hypoxemia and exertional dyspnea. Her past medical history revealed significant lung disease in infancy, including respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis and repaired gastroesophageal reflux. She was treated for 'asthma exacerbations' throughout her early childhood years. Bronchiolitis obliterans was subsequently diagnosed with an open lung biopsy. She did not have sustained improvement with systemic corticosteroids, hydroxychloroquine or clarithromycin. Cardiac catheterization confirmed the presence of secondary pulmonary hypertension. Treatment options remain a dilemma for this patient because there is no known effective treatment for this condition, and the natural history is not well understood. The present case demonstrates the need for careful workup in 'atypical asthma', and the urgent need for further research into the rare lung diseases of childhood.

Metabolic acidosis as an underlying mechanism of respiratory distress in children with severe acute asthma.

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Meert, Kathleen L; Clark, Jeff; Sarnaik, Ashok P

2007-11-01

1) To alert the clinician that increasing rate and depth of breathing during treatment of acute asthma may be a manifestation of metabolic acidosis with hyperventilation rather than worsening airway obstruction; and 2) to describe the frequency of metabolic acidosis with hyperventilation in children with severe acute asthma admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit. Retrospective medical record review. University-affiliated children's hospital. All patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with a diagnosis of asthma between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2005. None. Fifty-three patients with asthma (median age 7.8 yrs, range 0.7-17.9 yrs; 35 [66%] male; 46 [87%] black and 7 [13%] white) were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit during the study period. Fifteen (28%) patients developed metabolic acidosis with hyperventilation (pH 120 mg/dL [6.7 mmol/L]). Patients who developed metabolic acidosis with hyperventilation received asthma therapy similar to that received by patients who did not develop the disorder. Metabolic acidosis resolved contemporaneously with tapering of beta2-adrenergic agonists and administration of supportive care. All patients survived. Metabolic acidosis with hyperventilation manifesting as respiratory distress can occur in children with severe acute asthma. A pathophysiologic rationale exists for the contribution of beta2-adrenergic agents to the development of this acid-base disorder. Failure to recognize metabolic acidosis as the underlying mechanism of respiratory distress may lead to inappropriate intensification of bronchodilator therapy. Supportive care and tapering of beta2-adrenergic agents are recommended to resolve this condition.

Concordance of opinions between patients and physicians and their relationship with symptomatic control and future risk in patients with moderate-severe asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Crespo-Lessmann, Astrid; Plaza, Vicente; González-Barcala, Francisco-Javier; Fernández-Sánchez, Toni; Sastre, Joaquín

2017-01-01

Differences between the opinions of patients and physicians on the impact of asthma are common. We hypothesised that patient-physician discordance may negatively affect asthma outcome. A total of 2902 patients (61% women, mean age 47 years) with moderate-severe asthma and 231 physicians participated in a prospective study. At the baseline visit, data on demographics, clinical variables, degree of asthma control according to the Asthma Control Test (ACT), basic spirometry and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were collected and an ad hoc questionnaire was completed that allowed the degree of concordance between doctors and patients to be assessed. A scheduled telephone call after 3 months was used to elicit the ACT score and the future risk of asthma. At the final visit at 6 months, the following data were recorded: ACT score, spirometry, HADS score and an ad hoc questionnaire to assess the agreement between the doctor and the patient. Changes in study variables according to patient-physician concordance or discordance were analysed. The rate of patient-physician discordance was 27.2%, with overestimation of disease impact by the physician in 12.3% and underestimation in 14.9%. Patient-physician opinion discordance, particularly in the case of physicians underestimating the impact of asthma, showed worse results with statistically significant differences in ACT score, a higher percentage of patients with poor asthma control and lower HADS scores. The need for hospital and emergency department admissions was also higher. Patient-physician opinion discordance may be contributing to lower symptomatic control and increased future risk, with a higher impact when physicians underestimate the impact of asthma on their patients.

Do Allergies Cause Asthma?

Science.gov (United States)

... Development Infections Diseases & Conditions Pregnancy & Baby Nutrition & Fitness Emotions & Behavior School & Family Life First Aid & Safety Doctors & ... Can I Deal With My Asthma? Allergy Testing Definition: Allergy-Triggered Asthma Asthma Center Asthma View more ...

Late-Onset Asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli

2017-01-01

Late-onset asthma is common, associated with poor outcome, underdiagnosed and undertreated, possibly due to the modifying effect of ageing on disease expression. Although the diagnostic work-up in elderly individuals suspected of having asthma follows the same steps as in younger individuals (case......, to objectively confirm asthma. If necessary, a trial of oral or inhaled corticosteroid might be necessary. Asthma can be diagnosed when increased airflow variability is identified in a symptomatic patient, and if the patient does not have a history of exposure, primarily smoking, known to cause chronic...... obstructive pulmonary disease, the diagnosis is asthma even if the patient does not have fully reversible airflow obstruction. Pharmacological therapy in patients with late-onset asthma follows international guidelines, including treatment with the lowest effective dose of inhaled corticosteroid to minimize...

Occupational Asthma

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American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology Menu Search Main navigation Skip to content Conditions & Treatments Allergies Asthma Primary Immunodeficiency Disease Related Conditions Drug Guide Conditions Dictionary Just ...

Childhood Asthma

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American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology Menu Search Main navigation Skip to content Conditions & Treatments Allergies Asthma Primary Immunodeficiency Disease Related Conditions Drug Guide Conditions Dictionary Just ...

[Psychological stress and quality of life in patients with persistent asthma in Manzanillo, Cuba].

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez Rodríguez, María; Rodríguez Sánchez, Pedro Manuel; Brocard Arencibia, Ileana; Menéndez Porto, Lourdes

2014-07-30

Psychological stress is part of people's lives and can sometimes contribute to exacerbation of allergic diseases such as asthma. Asthma is prevalent in all age groups. Acute asthma attacks can be triggered by stress, thus impacting control of the disease and overall quality of life in these patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the presence of psychological stress as a trigger in poorly controlled asthma patients and its implications in their quality of life. A descriptive study was conducted in the city of Manzanillo, Cuba, in the course of one year, from January to December, 2010, which included 33 patients with persistent asthma. They were grouped according to severity as suffering from moderate or severe asthma, and all of them met the criteria for poorly controlled disease. They were surveyed to gather data about family and personal history of atopy, age of first asthma crisis, and environmental as well as other factors. Two surveys were used: a list of indicators of vulnerability to stress and the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Most patients with poorly controlled asthma were in their forties. Female patients were more frequently affected than men were (28 females or 84.8%, and 5 males or 15.1%), and most patients had a family history of atopic disease. Almost all patients had high vulnerability to stress as well as low overall quality of life in all the areas surveyed. Psychological counseling is advised for asthma patients in order to reduce their stress levels.

'Real-life' effectiveness studies of omalizumab in adult patients with severe allergic asthma: systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, I; Alhossan, A; Lee, C S; Kutbi, H; MacDonald, K

2016-05-01

We reviewed 24 'real-life' effectiveness studies of omalizumab in the treatment of severe allergic asthma that included 4117 unique patients from 32 countries with significant heterogeneity in patients, clinicians and settings. The evidence underscores the short- and long-term benefit of anti-IgE therapy in terms of the following: improving lung function; achieving asthma control and reducing symptomatology, severe exacerbations and associated work/school days lost; reducing healthcare resource utilizations, in particular hospitalizations, hospital lengths of stay and accident specialist or emergency department visits; reducing or discontinuing other asthma medications; and improving quality of life - thus confirming, complementing and extending evidence from randomized trials. Thus, omalizumab therapy is associated with signal improvements across the full objective and subjective burden of illness chain of severe allergic asthma. Benefits of omalizumab may extend up to 2-4 years, and the majority of omalizumab-treated patients may benefit for many years. Omalizumab has positive short- and long-term safety profiles similar to what is known from randomized clinical trials. Initiated patients should be monitored for treatment response at 16 weeks. Those showing positive response at that time are highly likely to show sustained treatment response and benefit in terms of clinical, quality of life and health resource utilization outcomes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetics of asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Simon F

2015-01-01

Asthma runs in families, and children of asthmatic parents are at increased risk of asthma. Prediction of disease risk is pivotal for the clinician when counselling atopic families. However, this is not always an easy task bearing in mind the vast and ever-increasing knowledge about asthma genetics....... The advent of new genotyping technologies has made it possible to sequence in great detail the human genome for asthma-associated variants, and accordingly, recent decades have witnessed an explosion in the number of rare and common variants associated with disease risk. This review presents an overview...... of methods and advances in asthma genetics in an attempt to help the clinician keep track of the most important knowledge in the field....

[The impact of psychological variables on the presentation and progress of asthma and patient's cognitive functions].

Science.gov (United States)

Talarowska, Monika; Florkowski, Antoni; Gałecki, Piotr; Szemraj, Janusz; Zboralski, Krzysztof; Pietras, Tadeusz; Górski, Paweł

2009-01-01

Chronic respiratory system diseases become serious public health problem all over the world. The most prevalent are obstructive diseases (asthma and COPD). The prevalence of asthma is still high and concern patients representing wide range of age and socio-economic status. Despite progress in diagnostic and therapeutic options several studies showed that asthma has an impact on health-related quality of life and patients' coping. Asthma as chronic condition results in limitations of patients activity and social relations. Thus psychosocial variables, which may have an impact on asthma symptoms presentation and disease progress, should be considered. There are only few reports concerning cognitive functions in asthma. The aim of the study was to assess the potential impact of psychosocial factors on asthma symptoms presentation, and cognitive function in asthma patients.

Asthma Exacerbation in Children: A Practical Review

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Lin-Shien Fu

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Asthma is the most common chronic lower respiratory tract disease in childhood throughout the world. Despite advances in asthma management, acute exacerbations continue to be a major problem in patients and they result in a considerable burden on direct/indirect health care providers. A severe exacerbation occurring within 1 year is an independent risk factor. Respiratory tract viruses have emerged as the most frequent triggers of exacerbations in children. It is becoming increasingly clear that interactions may exist between viruses and other triggers, increasing the likelihood of an exacerbation. In this study, we provide an overview of current knowledge about asthma exacerbations, including its definition, impact on health care providers, and associated factors. Prevention management in intermittent asthma as well as intermittent wheeze in pre-school children and those with persistent asthma are discussed. Our review findings support the importance of controlling persistent asthma, as indicated in current guidelines. In addition, we found that early episodic intervention appeared to be crucial in preventing severe attacks and future exacerbations. Besides the use of medication, timely education after an exacerbation along with a comprehensive plan in follow up is also vitally important.

Is asthma associated with cognitive impairments? A meta-analytic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Irani, Farzin; Barbone, Jordan Mark; Beausoleil, Janet; Gerald, Lynn

2017-12-01

Asthma is a chronic disease with significant health burden and socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities related to diagnosis and treatment. Asthma primarily affects the lungs, but can impact brain function through direct and indirect mechanisms. Some studies have suggested that asthma negatively impacts cognition, while others have failed to identify asthma-related cognitive compromise. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of cognition in individuals with asthma compared to that in healthy controls. We also examined the impact of some key potential moderators. Data on cognitive outcome measures and sociodemographic, illness-related, and study-related variables were extracted from studies reporting cognitive test performance in individuals with asthma compared to that in controls. There was no evidence of publication bias. A random-effects model examining differences in task performance between 2017 individuals with asthma and 2131 healthy controls showed significant effects in the small to medium range. Cognitive deficits associated with asthma were global, with strongest effects on broader measures involving academic achievement and executive functioning, but with additional impact on processing speed, global intellect, attention, visuospatial functioning, language, learning, and memory. Severity of asthma was a key moderator, with greatest cognitive deficits associated with severe asthma. Cognitive burden was also greatest in asthma patients who were younger, males, from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and from racial/ethnic minorities. Effects were independent of type of population (child versus adult), type of study (norm-referenced versus control-referenced), or reported use of oral or inhaled corticosteroid medications. There is cognitive burden associated with asthma, particularly among vulnerable groups with severe asthma. This could be due to increased risk of intermittent cerebral hypoxia in severe asthma. The clinical need to assess cognition in

Longterm clinical outcomes of omalizumab therapy in severe allergic asthma: Study of efficacy and safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansur, Adel H; Srivastava, Sapna; Mitchell, Verity; Sullivan, Julie; Kasujee, Ismail

2017-03-01

Omalizumab has been shown to be an effective add-on therapy for patients with uncontrolled severe persistent allergic asthma. There has been a steady accumulation of evidence on the long-term effectiveness of omalizumab; however, data on real-life outcomes beyond one year of treatment is limited. In this study, we report on long-term outcomes of omalizumab treatment. We collected data from our severe asthma registry on hospitalisations, exacerbations, corticosteroid sparing, asthma control, lung function, biomarkers and side effects, to determine if the benefit was sustained and treatment was safe on the long term. Forty-five patients [mean age 44.9 years (range 19-69), females 37/45 (82%), mean duration of omalizumab treatment = 60.7 ± 30.9 months (range 23-121) were included in the analysis. We observed a reduction in the annual acute asthma related hospital admissions for the total population from 207 at baseline to 40 on treatment (80.7% reduction), whilst the per patient annual hospitalisations were reduced from a mean of 4.8 to 0.89 post-omalizumab treatment (p omalizumab therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asthma symptoms improvement in moderate persistent asthma patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD: the role of proton-pump inhibitor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agus D. Susanto

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate effect of proton pump inhibitor (esomeprazole on asthma symptoms, use of inhaled bronchodilator and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR in moderate persistent asthma with gastroesofageal refluks disease (GERD. This randomized single blind, controlled clinical trial study was conducted at Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta from July 2004 until October 2005. Samples were moderate persistent asthma patients with GERD. GERD is diagnosed GERD symptoms and proof of oesophagitis from endoscopy and or histapatologic examination from oesophagus biopsy. Phase 1:2 week run-in period patient received inhaled budesonide 2x200 ug/day. Phase 2: patient randomised to receive inhaled budesonide 2 x 400 ug/day with esomeprazole 40 mg/day or without esomeprazole (control group for 8 weeks. Phase 3: 4 week wash out period, patient receive inhaled budesonide 2 x 200 ug/day. Diary cards were assessed at run-in periode, after treatment 4 weeks, 8 weeks and wash out. There were 32 patients (23 female and 9 male completed the study. Mean total asthma symptoms score daily were significantly decreased on esomeprazole vs without esomeprazole after 8 weeks (-2.29 vs -0.90; p < 0.05. Mean use of inhaled bronchodilator was significantly decreased on esomeprazole vs without esomeprazole after 8 weeks (-1.09 vs -0.42; p < 0.05. Morning and evening PEFR improved higher on esomeprazole than without esomeprazol but were not significantly difference. In conclusion, administration esomeprazole 40 mg daily improved asthma symptoms and lower the use of inhaled bronchodilator in moderate persistent asthma patients with GERD. (Med J Indones 2008; 17: 169-74Keywords: Asthma symptoms, inhaled bronchodilator, moderate persistent asthma, GERD, esomeprazole

The effectiveness of school-based family asthma educational programs on the quality of life and number of asthma exacerbations of children aged five to 18 years diagnosed with asthma: a systematic review protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Helen; Sadeque-Iqbal, Fatema; Ulysse, Rose; Castillo, Doreen; Fitzpatrick, Aileen; Singleton, Joanne

2015-10-01

$655 million was spent on asthma for 2008-09.Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of people of all ethnicities, ages and genders worldwide. The pathophysiology of asthma is multifaceted, and is characterized by restriction of airflow into and out of the lungs, airway inflammation with increased mucus production, and bronchial hyper-reactivity caused by exposure to environmental irritants and chemicals, often referred to as triggers, which in some cases are modifiable. Asthma triggers include respiratory infections, weather changes, stress, excitement, exercise and other physical activities, allergic hypersensitivity reactions, food additives, animal dander, dust mites, cockroaches, outdoor and indoor pollutants, certain medications and cigarette smoke. Asthma is characterized by recurrent, episodic, reversible symptoms often referred to as asthma exacerbations, or asthma attacks. Asthma symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing that most frequently occur at night or in the early morning. Asthma symptoms vary in severity and frequency in affected individuals, and can occur several times a day or week. Asthma symptoms may be mild, moderate, or severe, and are classified according to presenting symptoms and quantitative measurements of lung function using a peak expiratory flow meter (PEF), or of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). Asthma symptoms can be so severe that, if left untreated, death can occur.Exacerbations of asthma symptoms often result in school and work absenteeism, activity intolerance and emergency hospital visits for asthma. Nocturnal asthma exacerbations frequently cause sleeplessness, which may result in daytime fatigue. Asthma symptoms can interfere and disrupt activities of daily life, and can have an unfavorable impact on the quality of life for people with the disease, including children and their caregivers. For this review, quality of life represents how well the asthmatic

Roles of the State Asthma Program in Implementing Multicomponent, School-Based Asthma Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Hester, Laura L.; Wilce, Maureen A.; Gill, Sarah A.; Disler, Sheri L.; Collins, Pamela; Crawford, Gregory

2013-01-01

Background: Asthma is a leading chronic childhood disease in the United States and a major contributor to school absenteeism. Evidence suggests that multicomponent, school-based asthma interventions are a strategic way to address asthma among school-aged children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages the 36 health…

An Estimate of Severe and Chronic Fungal Diseases in the Republic of Kazakhstan

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Vadim M. Kemaykin

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Our work aimed to generate a preliminary estimation of severe and chronic fungal diseases in the Republic of Kazakhstan with a model proposed by LIFE (Leading International Fungal Education. Calculations were carried out on data from 2015. Published results of studies of mycoses in Kazakhstan were identified; in the absence of national data from the scientific literature, the frequency of life-threatening and serious mycoses in defined groups of patients at risk from other countries were taken into account. We also used analogous estimations of mycoses in the Russian Federation. We estimate that 300,824 patients (1.7% of the population were affected by severe and chronic mycotic diseases. There were an estimated 15,172 cases of acute mycoses, notably tinea capitis in children (11,847, Pneumocystis pneumonia and invasive candidiasis, and 285,652 of chronic fungal diseases. The most frequent were chronic recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (273,258 cases and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (6231. There is uncertainty about the prevalence of asthma in adults; the official number is 12,478 patients, but a prevalence estimate of 1.47% from a WHO consortium yields a prevalence of ~170,000 affected. We have used the official figures to generate the prevalence of fungal asthma, but it is likely to be a significant underestimate. Conclusion: Results of investigation indicate significant prevalence of severe and chronic mycoses in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Prevalence and severity of self-reported asthma in young adults, 1976-2004

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Browatzki, A; Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli; Lange, P

2009-01-01

The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence and severity of asthma in young Danish adults over three decades. Males and females aged 20-35 yrs were sampled from the population of Copenhagen for the three surveys (1976-1978, 1991-1993 and 2001-2004). A total of 3,285 (46% male) sub...... to increase over the last three decades among young Danish adults, and the observed increase in severity seems, at least partly, to be related to the increase in prevalence of obesity.......The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence and severity of asthma in young Danish adults over three decades. Males and females aged 20-35 yrs were sampled from the population of Copenhagen for the three surveys (1976-1978, 1991-1993 and 2001-2004). A total of 3,285 (46% male...... index, especially >30 kg.m(-2), was associated with a lower percentage predicted FEV1 (pobesity on FEV1. The proportion of smokers declined from 60 to 38% (p

Optimizing the position and use of omalizumab for severe persistent allergic asthma using cost-effectiveness analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Faria, Rita; McKenna, Claire; Palmer, Stephen

2014-12-01

There has been some controversy on whether the costs of omalizumab outweigh its benefits for severe persistent allergic asthma. This study aimed to resolve the uncertainties and limitations of previous analyses and establish the cost-effectiveness of omalizumab under the list price and Patient Access Scheme (PAS) discounted price for the UK National Health Service. A decision-analytic model was developed to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of omalizumab under the perspective of the National Health Service. Outcomes were expressed as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Patient subgroups were defined post hoc on the basis of data collected in clinical trials: previous hospitalization, on maintenance oral corticosteroids, and three or more previous exacerbations. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio varied from £30,109 to £57,557 per QALY gained depending on the population considered using the PAS price; incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were over a third higher using the list price. Omalizumab is likely to be cost-effective at the threshold of £30,000 per QALY gained in the severe subgroups if the improvement in health-related quality of life from omalizumab is mapped from an asthma-specific measure to the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (vs. the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire directly collected from patients) or asthma mortality refers to death after hospitalization from asthma (vs. asthma-mortality risk in the community). Although the cost-effectiveness of omalizumab is more favorable under the PAS price, it represents good value for money only in severe subgroups and under optimistic assumptions regarding asthma mortality and improvement in health-related quality of life. For these reasons, omalizumab should be carefully targeted to ensure value for money. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pattern of vitamin D in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and in patients with bronchial asthma

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Essam Gouda

2016-04-01

Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent in COPD and bronchial asthma (100% and 50% respectively. Low levels of vitamin D were associated with low FEV1%, frequent exacerbations in patients with COPD and bronchial asthma, and increased COPD severity as assessed by GOLD guidelines. Important statistically significant negative associations between vitamin D level and both asthma control and asthma severity according to GINA classification were also found. Thus it is advised to include vitamin D levels in the routine assessment of patients with bronchial asthma and COPD, as well as studying the importance and clinical impact of oral supplementation of vitamin D in patients with COPD and bronchial asthma should be an important goal of future research.

Assesment of Quality of Life in Children with Asthma

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Serhat Gümüş

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: Bronchial asthma is among the most common chronic pediatric diseases that can result in variable restriction in the physical, emotional and social aspects of the patient%u2019s life. The aim of this study was to assess impairment on quality of life (QOL in asthmatic children. Material and Method: Ninety seven patients aged between 7 and 15 years which followed up at Pediatric Pulmonology Department of Dicle University Hospital were included into the study, during October 2009 %u2013 January 2010. To assess the quality of life Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life questionnaire%u2019s (PAQLQ self-applied Turkish version was used. In addition, the severity of asthma was measured using by Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT. Results: The male to female ratio of asthmatic children was 2/1 and the mean age was 10.0 %uF0B1 2.5 years. Severity of asthma, history of steroid use and low family income were found as having negative effect on the PAQLQ scores (p < 0.001. Mother%u2019s education level also had statistically significant effect on the PAQLQ scores (P = 0.02. Father%u2019s education level; patient%u2019s age, gender, passive smoking exposure, family history of asthma or eczema and duration of disease did not have statistically significant effect on PAQLQ scores (p>0.05. Asthma control test score had a significant correlation with PAQLQ score (p

Assessing the value of disease management: impact of 2 disease management strategies in an underserved asthma population.

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Galbreath, Autumn Dawn; Smith, Brad; Wood, Pamela R; Inscore, Stephen; Forkner, Emma; Vazquez, Marilu; Fallot, Andre; Ellis, Robert; Peters, Jay I

2008-12-01

The goal of disease management (DM) is to improve health outcomes and reduce cost through decreasing health care utilization. Although some studies have shown that DM improves asthma outcomes, these interventions have not been examined in a large randomized controlled trial. To compare the effectiveness of 2 previously successful DM programs with that of traditional care. Nine hundred two individuals with asthma (429 adults; 473 children) were randomly assigned to telephonic DM, augmented DM (ADM; DM plus in-home visits by a respiratory therapist), or traditional care. Data were collected at enrollment and at 6 and 12 months. Primary outcomes were time to first asthma-related event, quality of life (QOL), and rates of asthma-related health care utilization. Secondary outcomes included rate of controller medication initiation, number of oral corticosteroid bursts, asthma symptom scores, and number of school days missed. There were no significant differences between groups in time to first asthma-related event or health care utilization. Adult participants in the ADM group had greater improvement in QOL (P = .04) and a decrease in asthma symptoms (P = .001) compared with other groups. Of children not receiving controller medications at enrollment (13%), those in the intervention groups were more likely to have controller medications initiated than the control group (P = .01). Otherwise, there were no differences in outcomes. Overall, participation in asthma DM did not result in significant differences in utilization or clinical outcomes. The only significant impact was a higher rate of controllermedication initiation in children and improvement in asthma symptoms and QOL in adults who received ADM.

Temporal asthma patterns using repeated questionnaires over 13 years in a large French cohort of women.

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Margaux Sanchez

Full Text Available Variable expression is one aspect of the heterogeneity of asthma. We aimed to define a variable pattern, which is relevant in general health epidemiological cohorts. Our objectives were to assess whether: 1 asthma patterns defined using simple asthma questions through repeated measurements could reflect disease variability 2 these patterns may further be classified according to asthma severity/control. Among 70,428 French women, we used seven questionnaires (1992-2005 and a comprehensive reimbursement database (2004-2009 to define three reliable asthma patterns based on repeated positive answers to the ever asthma attack question: "never asthma" (n = 64,061; "inconsistent" ("yes" followed by "no", n = 3,514; "consistent" (fully consistent positive answers, n = 2,853. The "Inconsistent" pattern was related to both long-term (childhood-onset asthma with remission in adulthood and short-term (reported asthma attack in the last 12 months, associated with asthma medication asthma variability, showing that repeated questions are relevant markers of the variable expression of asthma. Furthermore, in this pattern, the number of positive responses (1992-2005 predicted asthma drug consumption in subsequent years, a marker of disease severity. The "Inconsistent" pattern is a phenotype that may capture the variable expression of asthma. Repeated answers, even to a simple question, are too often neglected.

Learn How to Control Asthma

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... Guidelines Asthma & Community Health Learn How to Control Asthma Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) Arabic Chinese Français ... Is Asthma Treated? Select a Language What Is Asthma? Asthma is a disease that affects your lungs. ...

What Ancestry Can Tell Us About the Genetic Origins of Inter-Ethnic Differences in Asthma Expression.

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Hernandez-Pacheco, Natalia; Flores, Carlos; Oh, Sam S; Burchard, Esteban G; Pino-Yanes, Maria

2016-07-01

Differences in asthma prevalence have been described across different populations, suggesting that genetic ancestry can play an important role in this disease. In fact, several studies have demonstrated an association between African ancestry with increased asthma susceptibility and severity, higher immunoglobulin E levels, and lower lung function. In contrast, Native American ancestry has been shown to have a protective role for this disease. Genome-wide association studies have allowed the identification of population-specific genetic variants with varying allele frequency among populations. Additionally, the correlation of genetic ancestry at the chromosomal level with asthma and related traits by means of admixture mapping has revealed regions of the genome where ancestry is correlated with the disease. In this review, we discuss the evidence supporting the association of genetic ancestry with asthma susceptibility and asthma-related traits, and highlight the regions of the genome harboring ancestry-specific genetic risk factors.

Anti-IgE treatment, airway inflammation and remodelling in severe allergic asthma: current knowledge and future perspectives

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Konstantinos Samitas

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Asthma is a disorder of the airways involving various inflammatory cells and mediators and characterised by bronchial hyperresponsiveness, chronic inflammation and structural alterations in the airways, also known as remodelling. IgE is an important mediator of allergic reactions and has a central role in allergic asthma pathophysiology, as it is implicated in both the early and late phase allergic response. Moreover, clinical and mechanistic evidence has lately emerged, implicating IgE in the development of airway remodelling. The use of monoclonal antibodies targeting IgE, such as omalizumab, has proven very effective in improving respiratory symptoms and quality of life, while reducing asthma exacerbations, emergency room visits and the use of systemic corticosteroids in allergic severe asthma. These effects are believed to be mainly mediated by omalizumab's inhibitory effect on the initiation and further propagation of the allergic inflammation cascade. However, there is evidence to suggest that anti-IgE treatment remains effective long after it has been discontinued. In part, these findings could be attributed to the possible ameliorating effects of anti-IgE treatment on airway remodelling. In this review, we discuss recent findings supporting the notion that anti-IgE treatment modulates the complex immune responses that manifest clinically as asthma and ameliorates airway remodelling changes often observed in allergic severe asthma phenotypes.

Bronchial thermoplasty: a novel treatment for severe asthma requiring monitored anesthesia care.

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Lee, Jamille A; Rowen, David W; Rose, David D

2011-12-01

Dexmedetomidine used in monitored anesthesia care produces a safe and effective technique well documented in research. We report the successful use of dexmedetomidine for sedation during bronchial thermoplasty, a new treatment for patients with severe persistent asthma refractory to inhaled corticosteroids and long-term beta-2 agonists.

Airflow obstruction: is it asthma or is it COPD?

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Rogliani P

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Paola Rogliani, Josuel Ora, Ermanno Puxeddu, Mario Cazzola Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy Abstract: Despite the availability of guideline recommendations, diagnostic confusion between COPD and asthma appears common, and often it is very difficult to decide whether the obstruction is caused by asthma or COPD in a patient with airway obstruction. However, there are well-defined features that help in differentiating asthma from COPD in the presence of fixed airflow obstruction. Nonetheless, the presentations of asthma and COPD can converge and mimic each other, making it difficult to give these patients a diagnosis of either condition. The association of asthma and COPD in the same patient has been designated mixed asthma–COPD phenotype or overlap syndrome. However, since the absence of a clear definition and the inclusion of patients with different characteristics under this umbrella term, it may not facilitate treatment decisions, especially in the absence of clinical trials addressing this heterogeneous population. We are realizing that neither asthma nor COPD are single diseases, but rather syndromes consisting of several endotypes and phenotypes, consequently comprising a spectrum of diseases that must be recognized and adequately treated with targeted therapy. Therefore, we must treat patients by personalizing therapy on the basis of those treatable traits present in each subject. Keywords: airway obstruction, asthma, ACOS, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease