RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Airway sensory nerve sensitivity in adolescents with eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic asthma
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 4081
DO 10.1183/13993003.congress-2020.4081
VO 56
IS suppl 64
A1 Ali, Hajar
A1 Brooks, Collin
A1 Crane, Julian
A1 Beasley, Richard
A1 Le Gros, Graham
A1 Holgate, Stephen
A1 Gibson, Peter
A1 Pattemore, Philip
A1 Stanley, Thorsten
A1 Tzeng, Shieak Yc
A1 Pearce, Neil
A1 Douwes, Jeroen
YR 2020
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/4081.abstract
AB Background: Neural pathways may play a role in non-eosinophilic asthma, but this has rarely been studied.Aims: To assess whether non-eosinophilic asthma is characterised by increased sensory nerve sensitivity compared to eosinophilic asthmatics and controls.Methods: We recruited 38 asthmatics (18 eosinophilic and 20 non-eosinophilic) and 19 non-asthmatics (14-21 years) who underwent a capsaicin challenge, combined sputum induction and airway hyperreactivity (AHR), exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), atopy and spirometry tests. Sensory nerve sensitivity was defined as the lowest capsaicin concentration that evoked 2 (C2) or 5 (C5) coughs.Results: Non-eosinophilic asthmatics (NEA; eosinophil cut-point <2.5%) had a significantly lower C5 (heightened sensitivity) compared to controls (C5: Geometric Mean (GM) 58.3, 95% CL 24.1-141.5 vs 193.6, 82.2-456.0; p<0.05). C5 was also lower in NEA when compared to eosinophilic asthmatics (EA), but this did not reach statistical significance (58.3, 24.1-141.5 vs 191.0, 70.9-514.0; p=0.07). C5 was associated with ethnicity and sensitivity analyses excluding non-Europeans (n=8) (thus reducing confounding) resulted in a more pronounced difference between EA and NEA (p<0.05). No differences in C2 were found (control, 28.0, 12.3-63.6; EA, 41.5, 13.6-126.6; NEA, 17.9, 9.0-37.1). FEV1 was significantly reduced from baseline after capsaicin inhalation in both asthmatics and non-asthmatics but no differences were found across the groups. No other associations with demographic characteristics or other clinical outcomes were observed.Conclusion: Heightened airway sensory sensitivity may play a role in non-eosinophilic asthma.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 4081.This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).