Asthma affects 8% of the entire population. 4-5% of asthma sufferers have severe asthma, characterised by recurrent exacerbations (worsening of symptoms leading to the person having a bout of corticosteroids and/or antibiotics), significant symptoms and lack of response to the most widely used therapy, corticosteroids. There is now new types of treatments (antibody drugs) which are licensed to manage severe asthma such as Anti-IL5. There is evidence Anti-IL5 and other similar antibody drugs are effective at reducing asthma exacerbations and reduce the need for oral corticosteroids for those that have severe asthma. However, some patients respond poorly to Anti-IL5 and the investigators would like to find out why this happens. It is hoped that the investigators can identify the mechanism of poor treatment response to Anti-IL5. It is also hoped that the investigators can understand why symptoms worsen to the point of requiring antibiotics and/or steroids (also known as an exacerbation) for those prescribed Anti-IL5.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
50
Asthma group: Anti-IL5 treatment Control group: No biologic.
Optional for both arms
Nottingham Respiratory BRU
Nottingham, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGIdentification of mechanisms associated with poor response to anti-IL5 therapy
Identification of mechanisms associated with poor response to anti-IL5 therapy. A poor response is defined as an inability to halve the pre-treatment annualised exacerbation rate; an asthma exacerbation is defined as a worsening of asthma symptoms necessitating a short burst of oral corticosteroids, or a doubling of maintenance oral corticosteroid treatment dose.
Time frame: 12 months
An improvement in FEV1 as assessed by spirometry
Treatment response as assessed as a clinically meaningful improvement in asthma control (ACQ change of \>0.5).
Time frame: 12 months
A clinically meaningful improvement in asthma control as assessed by ACQ
An improvement in FEV1 of \>100ml using spirometry.
Time frame: 12 months
The identification of exacerbation pathogenesis in patients receiving anti-IL5 therapy via cytokine analysis
Blood cytokine analysis (analysed by Bio-plex 200 system) will be analysed at ad-hoc exacerbation visits to identify exacerbation pathogenesis.
Time frame: 12 months
The identification of exacerbation pathogenesis in patients receiving anti-IL5 therapy via viral throat swab analysis
Viral throat swabs results (using Cepheid Rapid device) will be analysed at ad-hoc exacerbation visits to identify exacerbation pathogenesis.
Time frame: 12 months
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