Possible diagnostic scheme for severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA)
| Major criteria | Minor criteria |
| Diagnosis of severe asthma | Late onset of disease |
| Evidence of high-load eosinophilic disease (persistent blood or sputum eosinophilia detected on ≥2 occasions) | Upper airway disease (i.e. chronic rhinosinusitis, often with nasal polyposis) |
| Frequent exacerbations (≥2 per year) | Role of other biomarkers (e.g. FeNO, periostin and DPP-4) |
| Dependence (continuous or intermittent) on oral corticosteroids to achieve asthma control | Fixed airflow obstruction Air trapping/presence of mucus plugs |
DPP-4: dipeptidyl peptidase-4; FeNO: exhaled nitric oxide fraction.