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Inflammatory and Comorbid Features of Patients with Severe Asthma and Frequent Exacerbations
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Inflammatory and Comorbid Features of Patients with Severe Asthma and Frequent Exacerbations

Loren C Denlinger, Brenda R Phillips, Sima Ramratnam, Kristie Ross, Nirav R Bhakta, Juan Carlos Cardet, Mario Castro, Stephen P Peters, Wanda Phipatanakul, Shean Aujla, …
American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, Vol.195(3), pp.302-313
02/01/2017
DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201602-0419OC
PMCID: PMC5328178
PMID: 27556234
url
https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201602-0419OCView
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Reducing asthma exacerbation frequency is an important criterion for approval of asthma therapies, but the clinical features of exacerbation-prone asthma (EPA) remain incompletely defined. To describe the clinical, physiologic, inflammatory, and comorbidity factors associated with EPA. Baseline data from the NHLBI Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP)-3 were analyzed. An exacerbation was defined as a burst of systemic corticosteroids lasting 3 days or more. Patients were classified by their number of exacerbations in the past year: none, few (one to two), or exacerbation prone (≥3). Replication of a multivariable model was performed with data from the SARP-1 + 2 cohort. Of 709 subjects in the SARP-3 cohort, 294 (41%) had no exacerbations and 173 (24%) were exacerbation prone in the prior year. Several factors normally associated with severity (asthma duration, age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status) did not associate with exacerbation frequency in SARP-3; bronchodilator responsiveness also discriminated exacerbation proneness from asthma severity. In the SARP-3 multivariable model, blood eosinophils, body mass index, and bronchodilator responsiveness were positively associated with exacerbation frequency (rate ratios [95% confidence interval], 1.6 [1.2-2.1] for every log unit of eosinophils, 1.3 [1.1-1.4] for every 10 body mass index units, and 1.2 [1.1-1.4] for every 10% increase in bronchodilatory responsiveness). Chronic sinusitis and gastroesophageal reflux were also associated with exacerbation frequency (1.7 [1.4-2.1] and 1.6 [1.3-2.0]), even after adjustment for multiple factors. These effects were replicated in the SARP-1 + 2 multivariable model. EPA may be a distinct susceptibility phenotype with implications for the targeting of exacerbation prevention strategies. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01760915).
Adolescent Adult Albuterol - administration & dosage Albuterol - therapeutic use Asthma - drug therapy Asthma - epidemiology Asthma - immunology Asthma - physiopathology Biomarkers - analysis Body Mass Index Breath Tests Bronchodilator Agents - administration & dosage Bronchodilator Agents - therapeutic use Chi-Square Distribution Child Comorbidity Disease Progression Disease Susceptibility Drug Resistance - immunology Eosinophils - drug effects Female Humans Immunoglobulin E - blood Inflammation - etiology Male Middle Aged Nitric Oxide - analysis Severity of Illness Index Sex Distribution Sputum - chemistry

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