Increase in Blood Eosinophil Count Over Time and Sputum IL8 are Associated with FEV Decline in Asthma.

Background: Asthma is associated with accelerated rate of FEV decline.

Objective: To determine predictive factors associated with accelerated FEV decline in adult asthma and evaluate sputum cytokines as potential biomarkers for airflow decline.

Methods: We recruited 125 asthmatics evaluated at the asthma clinic of Liège and reevaluated them at least 5 years later.

Evidence for 2 clusters among patients with noneosinophilic asthma.

Background: Although asthma is often seen as an eosinophilic disease associated with atopy, patients with noneosinophilic asthma represent a substantial part of the population with asthma.

Objective: To apply an unsupervised clustering method in a cohort of 588 patients with noneosinophilic asthma (sputum eosinophils < 3%) recruited from an asthma clinic of a secondary care center.

Methods: Our cluster analysis of the whole cohort identified 2 subgroups as cluster 1 (n = 417) and cluster 2 (n = 171).

Super-responders to anti-IL-5/anti-IL-5R are characterised by high sputum eosinophil counts at baseline.

Several clinical trials have demonstrated that anti-IL-5(R) biologics were able to improve lung function, asthma control and chronic oral corticosteroid exposure and reduce exacerbations among eosinophilic asthmatic patients. However, a certain variability in clinical responses to anti-IL-5(R) biologics was brought to light. Our study aimed at evaluating the role of baseline sputum eosinophils in identifying super-responders to mepolizumab and benralizumab.

Patients With Asthma Only Sensitized to Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxins Have More Exacerbations, Airflow Limitation, and Higher Levels of Sputum IL-5 and IgE.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins (SE) may act as superantigens and induce an intense T-cell activation, causing local production of polyclonal IgE and resultant eosinophil activation.

Objective: To assess whether asthma with sensitization to SE but not to common aeroallergens (AAs) displays different inflammatory characteristics.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study on a series of 110 consecutive patients with asthma recruited from the University Asthma Clinic of Liège.