To determine the prevalence of systemic corticosteroid-induced morbidity in severe asthma.
Cross-sectional observational study.
The primary care Optimum Patient Care Research Database and the British ...Thoracic Society Difficult Asthma Registry.
Optimum Patient Care Research Database (7195 subjects in three age- and gender-matched groups)-severe asthma (Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) treatment step 5 with four or more prescriptions/year of oral corticosteroids, n=808), mild/moderate asthma (GINA treatment step 2/3, n=3975) and non-asthma controls (n=2412). 770 subjects with severe asthma from the British Thoracic Society Difficult Asthma Registry (442 receiving daily oral corticosteroids to maintain disease control).
Prevalence rates of morbidities associated with systemic steroid exposure were evaluated and reported separately for each group.
748/808 (93%) subjects with severe asthma had one or more condition linked to systemic corticosteroid exposure (mild/moderate asthma 3109/3975 (78%), non-asthma controls 1548/2412 (64%); p<0.001 for severe asthma versus non-asthma controls). Compared with mild/moderate asthma, morbidity rates for severe asthma were significantly higher for conditions associated with systemic steroid exposure (type II diabetes 10% vs 7%, OR=1.46 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.91), p<0.01; osteoporosis 16% vs 4%, OR=5.23, (95% CI 3.97 to 6.89), p<0.001; dyspeptic disorders (including gastric/duodenal ulceration) 65% vs 34%, OR=3.99, (95% CI 3.37 to 4.72), p<0.001; cataracts 9% vs 5%, OR=1.89, (95% CI 1.39 to 2.56), p<0.001). In the British Thoracic Society Difficult Asthma Registry similar prevalence rates were found, although, additionally, high rates of osteopenia (35%) and obstructive sleep apnoea (11%) were identified.
Oral corticosteroid-related adverse events are common in severe asthma. New treatments which reduce exposure to oral corticosteroids may reduce the prevalence of these conditions and this should be considered in cost-effectiveness analyses of these new treatments.
Poor adherence is common in difficult-to-control asthma. Distinguishing patients with difficult-to-control asthma who respond to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) from refractory asthma is an important ...clinical challenge.
Suppression of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (Fe
) with directly observed ICS therapy over 7 days can identify nonadherence to ICS treatment in difficult-to-control asthma. We examined the feasibility and utility of Fe
suppression testing in routine clinical care within UK severe asthma centers using remote monitoring technologies.
A web-based interface with integrated remote monitoring technology was developed to deliver Fe
suppression testing. We examined the utility of Fe
suppression testing to demonstrate ICS responsiveness and clinical benefit on electronically monitored treatment with standard high-dose ICS and long-acting β
-agonist treatment.
Clinical response was assessed using the Asthma Control Questionnaire-5, spirometry, and biomarker measurements (Fe
and peripheral blood eosinophil count). Of 250 subjects, 201 completed the test with 130 positive suppression tests. Compared with a negative suppression test, a positive test identified a Fe
-low population when adherent with ICS/long-acting β
-agonist (median, 26 ppb interquartile range, 16-36 ppb vs. 43 ppb interquartile range, 38-73 ppb) with significantly greater FEV
% (mean, 88.2 ± 16.4 vs. 74.1 ± 20.9; P < 0.01). Asthma Control Questionnaire-5 improved significantly in both groups (positive test: mean difference, -1.2; 95% confidence interval, -0.9 to -1.5; negative test: mean difference, -0.9; 95% confidence interval, -0.4 to -1.3).
Remote Fe
suppression testing is an effective means of identifying nonadherence to ICS in subjects with difficult-to-control asthma and the substantial population of subjects who derive important clinical benefits from optimized ICS/long-acting β
-agonist treatment.
biomarkers of Type 2 (T2) inflammation may predict asthma control and exacerbation risk. However, the relationships between individual T2 biomarkers to exacerbations and lung function in severe ...asthma remain uncertain.
to explore the roles played by T2 biomarkers individually and as a composite score in predicting clinical outcomes in severe asthma.
unselected severe asthma patients were enrolled in this cross sectional real life study. Participants were clinically characterised and the following measurements were obtained: the frequency of exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids (OCS), asthma control (Juniper ACQ6-7), lung function, Fraction exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO), peripheral blood eosinophils (PBE), and serum periostin.
A total of 115 patients were recruited mean age 45 years (range 18–70), 80 (69.6%) females, mean forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1) %predicted was 68% ± 24.7, mean inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) 1.96 ± 0.82 mg/day. FeNO correlated significantly with PBE (r = 0.35, p = 0.0004), but not with periostin (r = 0.22, p = 0.065) and there was no significant correlation between PBE and periostin. FeNO correlation with exacerbations (r = 0.42, p = 0.0008) was stronger than PBE and periostin. A composite score of the 3 biomarkers correlated with exacerbations in a dose-dependent manner but multiple regression analysis did not confirm an added benefit. Only periostin demonstrated a significant correlation with FEV1%predicted (r = −0.34, p = 0.004) with ROC-AUC 0.7.
FeNO demonstrated stronger correlation with asthma exacerbations than PBE or periostin with no definite added benefit from a composite score of the 3 biomarkers. Only periostin showed significant association with reduced lung function raising its potential as a biomarker of airway remodeling.
•The relations of T2 biomarkers to asthma outcomes in severe asthma remain uncertain.•Exacerbations markers dominated by FeNO and lung function dominated by periostin.•Our findings define further the T2 biomarkers utility in severe asthma clinics.
BACKGROUND Systematic assessment of severe asthma can be used to confirm the diagnosis identify comorbidities, and address adherence to therapy. However, the prospective usefulness of this approach ...is yet to be established. The objective of this study was to determine whether the systematic assessment of severe asthma is associated with improved quality of life (QoL) and health-care use and, using prospective data collection, to compare relevant outcomes in patients referred with severe asthma to specialist centers across the United Kingdom. METHODS Data from the National Registry for dedicated UK Difficult Asthma Services were used to compare patient demographics, disease characteristics, and health-care use between initial assessment and a median follow-up of 286 days. RESULTS The study population consisted of 346 patients with severe asthma. At follow-up, there were significant reductions in health-care use in terms of primary care or ED visits (66.4% vs 87.8%, P < .0001) and hospital admissions (38% vs 48%, P = .0004). Although no difference was noted in terms of those requiring maintenance oral corticosteroids, there was a reduction in steroid dose (10 mg 8-20 mg vs 15 mg 10-20 mg, P = .003), and fewer subjects required short-burst steroids (77.4% vs 90.8%, P = .01). Significant improvements were seen in QoL and control using the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Asthma Control Questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first time that a prospective study has shown that a systematic assessment at a dedicated severe asthma center is associated with improved QoL and asthma control and a reduction in health-care use and oral steroid burden.
Abstract 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 < 0.00001). There was a 76.7% reduction in daily mean maintenance OCS dose (prednisolone equivalent) from 25.8 mg (n = 43) to 6.0 mg (p < 0.0001), associated with clinically significant improvement in asthma control questionnaire (ACQ) from mean score of 4.1 (range 3.7–4.7) to 2.27 (range 0.5–4.1) p < 0.0001. The mean % predicted FEV1 has improved from 59.2% at baseline to 75.7% on treatment (p = 0.001). There was a statistically non-significant reduction in median peripheral blood eosinophils (PBE) from 300 cells/μl (range 40–1050) at baseline to 175 cells/μl (range 0–1500) post-treatment (p = 0.068), and statistically significant reduction of median fraction exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) level from 37 parts per billion (range 12–178) to 24 ppb (range 7–50) (p = 0.0067). The work/school missed days were reduced in 17/19 patients who were at employment or school. The overall safety profile of the treatment seemed acceptable and was consistent with published experience. In conclusion, results from this real-life study demonstrate that improved outcomes in patients with severe allergic asthma are sustained with longer-term omalizumab therapy.
The UK Severe Asthma Registry (UKSAR) is the world's largest national severe asthma registry collecting standardised data on referrals to UK specialist services. Novel biologic therapies have ...transformed the management of type 2(T2)-high severe asthma but have highlighted unmet need in patients with persisting symptoms despite suppression of T2-cytokine pathways with corticosteroids.
Demographic, clinical and treatments characteristics for patients meeting European Respiratory Society / American Thoracic Society severe asthma criteria were examined for 2225 patients attending 15 specialist severe asthma centres. We assessed differences in biomarker low patients (fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) <25 ppb, blood eosinophils <150/μL) compared with a biomarker high population (FeNO ≥25 ppb, blood eosinophils ≥150/µL).
Age (mean 49.6 (14.3) y), age of asthma onset (24.2 (19.1) y) and female predominance (62.4%) were consistent with prior severe asthma cohorts. Poor symptom control (Asthma Control Questionnaire-6: 2.9 (1.4)) with high exacerbation rate (4 (IQR: 2, 7)) were common despite high-dose treatment (51.7% on maintenance oral corticosteroids (mOCS)). 68.9% were prescribed biologic therapies including mepolizumab (50.3%), benralizumab (26.1%) and omalizumab (22.6%). T2-low patients had higher body mass index (32.1 vs 30.2, p<0.001), depression/anxiety prevalence (12.3% vs 7.6%, p=0.04) and mOCS use (57.9% vs 42.1%, p<0.001). Many T2-low asthmatics had evidence of a historically elevated blood eosinophil count (0.35 (0.13, 0.60)).
The UKSAR describes the characteristics of a large cohort of asthmatics referred to UK specialist severe asthma services. It offers the prospect of providing novel insights across a range of research areas and highlights substantial unmet need with poor asthma control, impaired lung function and high exacerbation rates. T2-high phenotypes predominate with significant differences apparent from T2-low patients. However, T2-low patients frequently have prior blood eosinophilia consistent with possible excessive corticosteroid exposure.
Eosinophilic airway inflammation is often present in asthma, and reduction of such inflammation results in improved clinical outcomes. We hypothesised that fevipiprant (QAW039), an antagonist of ...prostaglandin D2 receptor 2, might reduce eosinophilic airway inflammation in patients with moderate-to-severe eosinophilic asthma.
We performed a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial at Glenfield Hospital (Leicester, UK). We recruited patients with persistent, moderate-to-severe asthma and an elevated sputum eosinophil count (≥2%). After a 2-week single-blind placebo run-in period, patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by the trial pharmacist, using previously generated treatment allocation cards, to receive fevipiprant (225 mg twice per day orally) or placebo, stratified by the use of oral corticosteroid treatment and bronchoscopy. The 12-week treatment period was followed by a 6-week single-blind placebo washout period. The primary outcome was the change in sputum eosinophil percentage from baseline to 12 weeks after treatment, analysed in the intention-to-treat population. All patients who received at least one dose of study drug were included in the safety analyses. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01545726, and with EudraCT, number 2011-004966-13.
Between Feb 10, 2012, and Jan 30, 2013, 61 patients were randomly assigned to receive fevipiprant (n=30) or placebo (n=31). Three patients in the fevipiprant group and four patients in the placebo group withdrew because of asthma exacerbations. Two patients in the fevipiprant group were incorrectly given placebo (one at the mid-treatment visit and one throughout the course of the study). They were both included in the fevipiprant group for the primary analysis, but the patient who was incorrectly given placebo throughout was included in the placebo group for the safety analyses. Between baseline and 12 weeks after treatment, sputum eosinophil percentage decreased from a geometric mean of 5·4% (95% CI 3·1-9·6) to 1·1% (0·7-1·9) in the fevipiprant group and from 4·6% (2·5-8·7) to 3·9% (CI 2·3-6·7) in the placebo group. Compared with baseline, mean sputum eosinophil percentage was reduced by 4·5 times in the fevipiprant group and by 1·3 times in the placebo group (difference between groups 3·5 times, 95% CI 1·7-7·0; p=0·0014). Fevipiprant had a favourable safety profile, with no deaths or serious adverse events reported. No patient withdrawals were judged by the investigator to be related to the study drug.
Fevipiprant reduces eosinophilic airway inflammation and is well tolerated in patients with persistent moderate-to-severe asthma and raised sputum eosinophil counts despite inhaled corticosteroid treatment.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals, AirPROM project, and the UK National Institute for Health Research.
Bronchial thermoplasty is a treatment for asthma. It is currently unclear whether its histopathological impact is sufficiently explained by the proportion of airway wall that is exposed to ...temperatures necessary to affect cell survival.Airway smooth muscle and bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to media (37-70°C) for 10 s to mimic thermoplasty.
we developed a mathematical model of airway heat distribution post-thermoplasty.
we determined airway smooth muscle mass and epithelial integrity pre- and post-thermoplasty in 14 patients with severe asthma.
airway smooth muscle and epithelial cell number decreased significantly following the addition of media heated to ≥65°C.
simulations showed a heterogeneous heat distribution that was amplified in larger airways, with <10% of the airway wall heated to >60°C in airways with an inner radius of ∼4 mm.
at 6 weeks post-thermoplasty, there was an improvement in asthma control (measured
Asthma Control Questionnaire-6; mean difference 0.7, 95% CI 0.1-1.3; p=0.03), airway smooth muscle mass decreased (absolute median reduction 5%, interquartile range (IQR) 0-10; p=0.03) and epithelial integrity increased (14%, IQR 6-29; p=0.007). Neither of the latter two outcomes was related to improved asthma control.Integrated
and
modelling suggest that the reduction in airway smooth muscle post-thermoplasty cannot be fully explained by acute heating, and nor did this reduction confer a greater improvement in asthma control.
Few genetic studies that focus on moderate-to-severe asthma exist. We aimed to identity novel genetic variants associated with moderate-to-severe asthma, see whether previously identified genetic ...variants for all types of asthma contribute to moderate-to-severe asthma, and provide novel mechanistic insights using expression analyses in patients with asthma.
In this genome-wide association study, we used a two-stage case-control design. In stage 1, we genotyped patient-level data from two UK cohorts (the Genetics of Asthma Severity and Phenotypes GASP initiative and the Unbiased BIOmarkers in PREDiction of respiratory disease outcomes U-BIOPRED project) and used data from the UK Biobank to collect patient-level genomic data for cases and controls of European ancestry in a 1:5 ratio. Cases were defined as having moderate-to-severe asthma if they were taking appropriate medication or had been diagnosed by a doctor. Controls were defined as not having asthma, rhinitis, eczema, allergy, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis as diagnosed by a doctor. For stage 2, an independent cohort of cases and controls (1:5) was selected from the UK Biobank only, with no overlap with stage 1 samples. In stage 1 we undertook a genome-wide association study of moderate-to-severe asthma, and in stage 2 we followed up independent variants that reached the significance threshold of p less than 1 × 10−6 in stage 1. We set genome-wide significance at p less than 5 × 10−8. For novel signals, we investigated their effect on all types of asthma (mild, moderate, and severe). For all signals meeting genome-wide significance, we investigated their effect on gene expression in patients with asthma and controls.
We included 5135 cases and 25 675 controls for stage 1, and 5414 cases and 21 471 controls for stage 2. We identified 24 genome-wide significant signals of association with moderate-to-severe asthma, including several signals in innate or adaptive immune-response genes. Three novel signals were identified: rs10905284 in GATA3 (coded allele A, odds ratio OR 0·90, 95% CI 0·88–0·93; p=1·76 × 10−10), rs11603634 in the MUC5AC region (coded allele G, OR 1·09, 1·06–1·12; p=2·32 × 10−8), and rs560026225 near KIAA1109 (coded allele GATT, OR 1·12, 1·08–1·16; p=3·06 × 10−9). The MUC5AC signal was not associated with asthma when analyses included mild asthma. The rs11603634 G allele was associated with increased expression of MUC5AC mRNA in bronchial epithelial brush samples via proxy SNP rs11602802; (p=2·50 × 10−5) and MUC5AC mRNA was increased in bronchial epithelial samples from patients with severe asthma (in two independent analyses, p=0·039 and p=0·022).
We found substantial shared genetic architecture between mild and moderate-to-severe asthma. We also report for the first time genetic variants associated with the risk of developing moderate-to-severe asthma that regulate mucin production. Finally, we identify candidate causal genes in these loci and provide increased insight into this difficult to treat population.
Asthma UK, AirPROM, U-BIOPRED, UK Medical Research Council, and Rosetrees Trust.
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