Eosinophilic and Noneosinophilic Asthma: An Expert Consensus Framework to Characterize Phenotypes in a Global Real-Life Severe Asthma Cohort

Liam G Heaney 1, Luis Perez de Llano 2, Mona Al-Ahmad 3, Vibeke Backer 4, John Busby 1, Giorgio Walter Canonica 5, George C Christoff 6, Borja G Cosio 7, J Mark FitzGerald 8, Enrico Heffler 5, Takashi Iwanaga 9, David J Jackson 10, Andrew N Menzies-Gow 11, Nikolaos G Papadopoulos 12, Andriana I Papaioannou 13, Paul E Pfeffer 14, Todor A Popov 15, Celeste M Porsbjerg 16, Chin Kook Rhee 17, Mohsen Sadatsafavi 18, Yuji Tohda 9, Eileen Wang 19, Michael E Wechsler 20, Marianna Alacqua 21, Alan Altraja 22, Leif Bjermer 23, Unnur S Björnsdóttir 24, Arnaud Bourdin 25, Guy G Brusselle 26, Roland Buhl 27, Richard W Costello 28, Mark Hew 29, Mariko Siyue Koh 30, Sverre Lehmann 31, Lauri Lehtimäki 32, Matthew Peters 33, Camille Taillé 34, Christian Taube 35, Trung N Tran 36, James Zangrilli 36, Lakmini Bulathsinhala 37, Victoria A Carter 37, Isha Chaudhry 37, Neva Eleangovan 37, Naeimeh Hosseini 37, Marjan Kerkhof 37, Ruth B Murray 37, Chris A Price 37, David B Price 38

Affiliations

01 September 2021

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doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.04.013

Abstract

Background: Phenotypic characteristics of patients with eosinophilic and noneosinophilic asthma are not well characterized in global, real-life severe asthma cohorts.

Research question: What is the prevalence of eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes in the population with severe asthma, and can these phenotypes be differentiated by clinical and biomarker variables?

Study design and methods: This was an historical registry study. Adult patients with severe asthma and available blood eosinophil count (BEC) from 11 countries enrolled in the International Severe Asthma Registry (January 1, 2015-September 30, 2019) were categorized according to likelihood of eosinophilic phenotype using a predefined gradient eosinophilic algorithm based on highest BEC, long-term oral corticosteroid use, elevated fractional exhaled nitric oxide, nasal polyps, and adult-onset asthma. Demographic and clinical characteristics were defined at baseline (ie, 1 year before or closest to date of BEC).

Results: One thousand seven hundred sixteen patients with prospective data were included; 83.8% were identified as most likely (grade 3), 8.3% were identified as likely (grade 2), and 6.3% identified as least likely (grade 1) to have an eosinophilic phenotype, and 1.6% of patients showed a noneosinophilic phenotype (grade 0). Eosinophilic phenotype patients (ie, grades 2 or 3) showed later asthma onset (29.1 years vs 6.7 years; P < .001) and worse lung function (postbronchodilator % predicted FEV1, 76.1% vs 89.3%; P = .027) than those with a noneosinophilic phenotype. Patients with noneosinophilic phenotypes were more likely to be women (81.5% vs 62.9%; P = .047), to have eczema (20.8% vs 8.5%; P = .003), and to use anti-IgE (32.1% vs 13.4%; P = .004) and leukotriene receptor antagonists (50.0% vs 28.0%; P = .011) add-on therapy.

Interpretation: According to this multicomponent, consensus-driven, and evidence-based eosinophil gradient algorithm (using variables readily accessible in real life), the severe asthma eosinophilic phenotype was more prevalent than previously identified and was phenotypically distinct. This pragmatic gradient algorithm uses variables readily accessible in primary and specialist care, addressing inherent issues of phenotype heterogeneity and phenotype instability. Identification of treatable traits across phenotypes should improve therapeutic precision.

Keywords: Asia; Europe; International Severe Asthma Registry; Middle East; North America.


 

References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

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