Asthma is a growing problem, especially in children. It causes frequent wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough. A cold that is caused by a virus (viral cold) can sometimes make asthma symptoms worse. This study will help investigators learn about the way colds are related to asthma attacks among children who need higher amounts of medications to control their asthma. Investigators want to learn why viral colds sometimes cause asthma attacks and other times do not by studying the immune system response in samples taken from the nose and blood.
This study is a prospective, longitudinal, nested case-control study designed to identify changes in gene transcription predictive of and associated with asthma exacerbations in children ages 6 to 17 years with difficult-to-control, exacerbation-prone asthma. Participants will be followed prospectively for the onset of a cold and a subsequent asthma exacerbation. An internet-based asthma and cold symptom diary will be accessed by participants using a hand-held device. When the participant reports development of a cold, a clinic visit will be scheduled as soon as possible (within 48 hours of cold symptom onset) to collect blood and nasal samples. A second clinic visit will occur 4-6 days from the onset of cold symptoms to obtain samples after the initial cold, but prior to the use of systemic corticosteroids. Participants will be followed for up to two colds or approximately 6 months after Visit 0, whichever comes first.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
208
Children's Hospital Colorado
Aurora, Colorado, United States
Children's National Medical Center
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
Ann and Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Boston University School of Medicine
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Henry Ford Health System
Detroit, Michigan, United States
St. Louis Children's Hospital
St Louis, Missouri, United States
Columbia University Medical Center
New York, New York, United States
Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas, United States
Gene expression of nasal lavage RNA samples.
Gene expression will be measured by whole transcriptome RNA sequencing.
Time frame: 6 month
Gene expression of whole blood RNA samples
Gene expression will be measured by whole transcriptome RNA sequencing
Time frame: 6 month
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