Abstract

Background: There is increasing recognition of marked phenotypic heterogeneity within severe asthma patients.

Methods: Severe asthma patients on GINA step 4 or 5 treatment, followed up at Al-Rashed Allergy center Kuwait, were evaluated for: demographics (gender, age, age of asthma onset), comorbidities (allergic rhinitis (AR), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), obesity), blood biomarkers (total serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE), peripheral eosinophils), and sensitization to inhalants allergens.

Results: A total of 169 patients were candidates for biological treatment. Patients were divided in two groups based on level of total IgE as a "low" group with IgE<160 IU/ml (n = 55) and "high" group with IgE≥ 160 IU/ml (n = 114). Both groups were further divided in subgroups, "low" and "high", based on absolute number of eosinophils (Eos) in peripheral blood with <300 cells/μl or ≥ 300 cells/μl. Only 10% of patients were in low IgE/low Eos while majority (46%) were in the high IgE/high Eos group. Mean age of patients was 44.1 year with domination of females (n = 123). Majority of patients were obese. AR, CRS and CRSwNP were more common in group with IgE ≥160 IU/ml, while CRS and CRSwNP in group with Eos ≥300 cells/μl.

Conclusion: The majority of severe asthma patients in Kuwait are obese females with adult-onset asthma (>18 years of age) who were allergic with comorbid conditions including AR, CRS and CRSwNP, which correlates well with the level of Eos.

Keywords: Allergic; Eosinophilic; Phenotype; Severe asthma.