Effect of Azithromycin on Asthma Remission in Adults With Persistent Uncontrolled Asthma: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized, Double-Anonymized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background: Asthma remission is a potential treatment goal.

Research Question: Does adding azithromycin to standard therapy in patients with persistent uncontrolled asthma induce remission compared with placebo?

Study Design And Methods: This secondary analysis used data from the Asthma and Macrolides: the Azithromycin Efficacy and Safety (AMAZES) clinical trial-a double-anonymized placebo-controlled trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of azithromycin on asthma exacerbations. The primary remission definition (referred to as clinical remission) was zero exacerbations and zero oral corticosteroids during the previous 6 months evaluated at 12 months and a 5-item Asthma Control Questionnaire score ≤ 1 at 12 months.

Genomic attributes of airway commensal bacteria and mucosa.

Microbial communities at the airway mucosal barrier are conserved and highly ordered, in likelihood reflecting co-evolution with human host factors. Freed of selection to digest nutrients, the airway microbiome underpins cognate management of mucosal immunity and pathogen resistance. We show here the initial results of systematic culture and whole-genome sequencing of the thoracic airway bacteria, identifying 52 novel species amongst 126 organisms that constitute 75% of commensals typically present in heathy individuals.

Quantification of smooth muscle in human airways by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography requires correction for perichondrium.

Quantifying airway smooth muscle (ASM) in patients with asthma raises the possibility of improved and personalized disease management. Endobronchial polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is a promising quantitative imaging approach that is in the early stages of clinical translation. To date, only animal tissues have been used to assess the accuracy of PS-OCT to quantify absolute (rather than relative) ASM in cross sections with directly matched histological cross sections as validation.

COPD in Never-Smokers: BOLD Australia Study.

Purpose: Tobacco smoking is the major risk factor for COPD, and it is common for other risk factors in never-smokers to be overlooked. We examined the prevalence of COPD among never-smokers in Australia and identified associated risk factors.

Methods: We used data from the Australia Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study, a cross-section of people aged ≥40 years from six sites.

Risk factors and clinical characteristics of breathlessness in Australian adults: Data from the BOLD Australia study.

Background: Breathlessness is a common symptom related to a significant health burden. However, the association of breathlessness with clinical characteristics, especially objective pulmonary test results is scarce. We aimed to identify the characteristics independently associated with breathlessness in Australian adults.

Association of novel adult cough subclasses with clinical characteristics and lung function across six decades of life in a prospective, community-based cohort in Australia: an analysis of the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS).

Background: Cough is a common yet heterogeneous condition. Little is known about the characteristics and course of cough in general populations. We aimed to investigate cough subclasses, their characteristics from childhood across six decades of life, and potential treatable traits in a community-based cohort.

Respiratory Symptoms, Disease Burden, and Quality of Life in Australian Adults According to GOLD Spirometry Grades: Data from the BOLD Australia Study.

Purpose: Population data on the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often based on patient-reported diagnoses of COPD, emphysema or chronic bronchitis, without spirometry. We aimed to investigate the relationship between health burden, quality of life and severity of airway obstruction in Australian adults aged ≥40 years.

Methods: We used data from the BOLD Australia study, which included randomly selected adults aged ≥40 years from six study sites to reflect the sociodemographic and geographic diversity of the Australian population (n = 3522).

Biologics (mepolizumab and omalizumab) induced remission in severe asthma patients.

Background: Asthma remission has emerged as a potential treatment goal. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two biologics (mepolizumab/omalizumab) in achieving asthma remission.

Methods: This observational study included 453 severe asthma patients (41% male; mean age ± SD 55.

Clinical characteristics of adults with self-reported diagnosed asthma and/or COPD: data from the BOLD Australia Study.

Background: Diagnosis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the community is variable, often without spirometry. Some studies report that adults with both diagnostic labels (asthma+COPD) have worse health outcomes than those with asthma or COPD only, but data for Australian adults are limited. We investigated the relationship between clinical characteristics and self-reported diagnoses of asthma, COPD and both.

From Beneath the Skin to the Airway Wall: Understanding the Pathological Role of Adipose Tissue in Comorbid Asthma-Obesity.

This article provides a contemporary report on the role of adipose tissue in respiratory dysfunction. Adipose tissue is distributed throughout the body, accumulating beneath the skin (subcutaneous), around organs (visceral), and importantly in the context of respiratory disease, has recently been shown to accumulate within the airway wall: "airway-associated adipose tissue." Excessive adipose tissue deposition compromises respiratory function and increases the severity of diseases such as asthma.

Longitudinal Stability of Vitamin D Status and Its Association With Bone Mineral Density in Middle-aged Australians.

Context: The skeletal effects of vitamin D remain controversial and it is uncertain whether variation in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels over time influences bone mineral density (BMD).

Objective: We evaluated longitudinal stability of serum 25OHD and associations with changes in BMD in participants aged 46-70 years at baseline.

Methods: We studied 3698 Busselton Healthy Ageing Study participants (2040 female) with serum 25OHD and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) BMD assessments at baseline and at ∼6 years follow-up.

Distribution, composition, and activity of airway-associated adipose tissue in the porcine lung.

Patients with comorbid asthma-obesity experience greater disease severity and are less responsive to therapy. We have previously reported adipose tissue within the airway wall that positively correlated with body mass index. Accumulation of biologically active adipose tissue may result in the local release of adipokines and disrupt large and small airway function depending on its anatomical distribution.

Heterogeneity of Airway Smooth Muscle Remodeling in Asthma.

Ventilatory defects in asthma are heterogeneous and may represent the distribution of airway smooth muscle (ASM) remodeling. To determine the distribution of ASM remodeling in mild-severe asthma. The ASM area was measured in nine airway levels in three bronchial pathways in cases of nonfatal ( = 30) and fatal asthma ( = 20) and compared with control cases without asthma ( = 30).