Detection of immunological biomarkers correlated with asthma control and quality of life measurements in sera from chronic asthmatic patients.

BACKGROUND

Clinical outcomes of patients with asthma are highly variable. Immunological biomarkers associated with asthma control have not been elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the association between clinical control of asthma and serum immunological profiles of asthmatics and compare these profiles with those of healthy controls by using a multiplex assay.

METHODS

Sera were obtained from 28 nonsmokers 18 to 55 years of age with moderate and severe persistent asthma. Patients were classified as having well-controlled (WC, n = 14) or poorly controlled (PC, n = 14) asthma based on their responses to the Asthma Control Questionnaire and Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Sera from nonasthmatic control individuals (NAC, n = 14) were used for comparison. Levels of 50 analytes, including cytokines, chemokines, angiogenic, and growth factors, were determined, using a multiplex assay.

RESULTS

Twelve of the 29 cytokines levels were significantly higher in patients with asthma than in NACs, but only interferon gamma levels were significantly lower in patients with asthma than in the NAC group. Among these, interleukin (IL)-3 and IL-18 levels were significantly higher in the PC group than the WC group. Five of the 12 tested chemokine levels were significantly higher in patients with asthma than in NACs. Five of six growth factor levels were significantly higher in patients with asthma than in NACs, and 3 were higher in PC than WC. Interleukin-18, fibroblast growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and stem cell growth factor-beta were positively correlated with poor asthma control and negatively with quality of life scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased serum levels of fibroblast growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and stem cell growth factor-beta might be useful biomarkers of asthma control status and targets of future asthma therapy.