TY - JOUR
T1 - Characteristics associated with clinical severity and inflammatory phenotype of naturally occurring virus-induced exacerbations of asthma in adults
AU - Bjerregaard, Asger
AU - Laing, Ingrid A
AU - Poulsen, Nadia
AU - Backer, Vibeke
AU - Sverrild, Asger
AU - Fally, Markus
AU - Khoo, Siew-Kim
AU - Barrett, Lucy
AU - Baltic, Svetlana
AU - Thompson, Philip J
AU - Chidlow, Glenys
AU - Sikazwe, Chisha
AU - Smith, David W
AU - Bochkov, Yury A
AU - Le Souëf, Peter
AU - Porsbjerg, Celeste
N1 - Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/2/1
Y1 - 2017/2/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: In experimental studies viral infections have been shown to induce type 2 inflammation in asthmatics, but whether this is a feature of naturally occurring virus-induced asthma exacerbations is unknown. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) released from the airway epithelium in response to damage, has been suggested as a link between viral infection and type 2 inflammation, but the role of TSLP in asthma exacerbations is unknown.OBJECTIVE: To assess whether type 2 inflammation, as measured by sputum eosinophils and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), is a feature of naturally occurring virus-induced exacerbations of asthma and whether TSLP is associated with this type 2 inflammation.METHODS: Patients presenting to hospital with acute asthma were examined during the exacerbation, and after 4 weeks recovery. The assessments included spirometry, FeNO and induced sputum for differential counts and TSLP mRNA levels. Nasal swabs were collected for viral detection.RESULTS: Sputum eosinophils and FeNO were similar between virus-positive (n = 44) and negative patients (n = 44). In virus-positive patients, TSLP expression was lower at exacerbation than follow-up (p = 0.03). High TSLP at exacerbation was associated with lower sputum eosinophils (p = 0.01) and higher FEV1 (p = 0.03). In virus-positive patients, %-predicted FEV1 negatively correlated with both FeNO and sputum eosinophils (p = 0.02 and p = 0.05, respectively).CONCLUSION: Our findings support that type 2 inflammation is present in patients during virus-induced asthma exacerbations, to the same degree as non-viral exacerbations, and correlate negatively with FEV1. However, in virus-positive patients, high TSLP expression during exacerbation was associated with low sputum eosinophils, suggesting that the effect of TSLP in vivo, in the setting of an asthma exacerbation, might be different than the type 2 inducing effects observed in experimental studies.
AB - BACKGROUND: In experimental studies viral infections have been shown to induce type 2 inflammation in asthmatics, but whether this is a feature of naturally occurring virus-induced asthma exacerbations is unknown. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) released from the airway epithelium in response to damage, has been suggested as a link between viral infection and type 2 inflammation, but the role of TSLP in asthma exacerbations is unknown.OBJECTIVE: To assess whether type 2 inflammation, as measured by sputum eosinophils and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), is a feature of naturally occurring virus-induced exacerbations of asthma and whether TSLP is associated with this type 2 inflammation.METHODS: Patients presenting to hospital with acute asthma were examined during the exacerbation, and after 4 weeks recovery. The assessments included spirometry, FeNO and induced sputum for differential counts and TSLP mRNA levels. Nasal swabs were collected for viral detection.RESULTS: Sputum eosinophils and FeNO were similar between virus-positive (n = 44) and negative patients (n = 44). In virus-positive patients, TSLP expression was lower at exacerbation than follow-up (p = 0.03). High TSLP at exacerbation was associated with lower sputum eosinophils (p = 0.01) and higher FEV1 (p = 0.03). In virus-positive patients, %-predicted FEV1 negatively correlated with both FeNO and sputum eosinophils (p = 0.02 and p = 0.05, respectively).CONCLUSION: Our findings support that type 2 inflammation is present in patients during virus-induced asthma exacerbations, to the same degree as non-viral exacerbations, and correlate negatively with FEV1. However, in virus-positive patients, high TSLP expression during exacerbation was associated with low sputum eosinophils, suggesting that the effect of TSLP in vivo, in the setting of an asthma exacerbation, might be different than the type 2 inducing effects observed in experimental studies.
KW - Acute Disease
KW - Adult
KW - Asthma/metabolism
KW - Cytokines/biosynthesis
KW - Eosinophilia/virology
KW - Female
KW - Forced Expiratory Volume/physiology
KW - Gene Expression/physiology
KW - Humans
KW - Inflammation/metabolism
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Nitric Oxide/metabolism
KW - Phenotype
KW - Prospective Studies
KW - RNA, Messenger/genetics
KW - Respiratory Tract Infections/complications
KW - Severity of Illness Index
KW - Spirometry
KW - Sputum/cytology
KW - Virus Diseases/complications
KW - Young Adult
U2 - 10.1016/j.rmed.2016.12.010
DO - 10.1016/j.rmed.2016.12.010
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 28137494
SN - 0954-6111
VL - 123
SP - 34
EP - 41
JO - Respiratory Medicine
JF - Respiratory Medicine
ER -