Data suggests different treatment strategies may be beneficial
An in-press study detailed the characteristics of 4 asthma endotypes and their association with asthma-related healthcare outcomes and responsiveness to treatment.
The research used data from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP), which aims to identify clinical and pathophysiological differences between mild-to-moderate and severe asthma. Previous studies in 3 SARP cohorts identified several relationships between asthma type and outcomes; for instance, higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) are correlated with lower lung function and more frequent asthma exacerbations, whereas higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels are associated with type 2 inflammatory asthma and better response to corticosteroid treatment.
The current research, published ahead of print by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, aimed to investigate whether several clinical biomarkers, including the combination of FeNO and blood eosinophil count (type 2) and IL-6 (non–type 2) levels, are associated with clinical and cellular characteristics of asthma.
The analyses showed that higher plasma or serum IL-6 levels were significantly associated with being older, being female, and having a higher body mass index (BMI), but there was no significant difference by race. IL-6 levels were also correlated with higher blood neutrophil counts and likelihood of asthma hospitalizations or systemic corticosteroid use in the past year.
SOURCE: AJMC
