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Asthma Control and Sputum Eosinophils: A Longitudinal Study in Daily Practice
Sophie F Demarche1, Florence N Schleich2, Virginie A Paulus2
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, GIGA I(3) Research Group, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
Summary
Asthma control is linked to changes in sputum eosinophils. This study confirms that monitoring eosinophil levels can help manage asthma effectively in daily practice.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Allergy and Immunology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Longitudinal studies suggest a link between asthma control and eosinophilic inflammation fluctuations.
- This association has not been consistently confirmed in routine clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between asthma control and sputum eosinophils in a clinical setting.
- To establish minimal important differences (MIDs) in sputum eosinophils corresponding to meaningful changes in asthma control.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective longitudinal study of 187 asthma patients with multiple sputum inductions.
- Linear mixed models assessed the association between asthma control and sputum eosinophil changes.
- Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves determined MIDs for sputum eosinophils related to Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) score changes.
Main Results:
- Asthma control was independently associated with individual fluctuations in sputum eosinophil count (P < .001).
- Defined MIDs for sputum eosinophils indicating significant asthma control improvement or worsening.
- Findings were validated in a separate cohort of 79 asthma patients.
Conclusions:
- Individual asthma control is significantly associated with dynamic changes in sputum eosinophil counts over time.
- Sputum eosinophil monitoring can be a valuable tool for assessing and managing asthma control in clinical practice.