Studies on the annual change of biomarkers in severe asthmatics.

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K15939
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53030:Respiratory medicine-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Kimura Hirokazu 北海道大学, 大学病院, 医員 (90789330)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 難治性喘息 / バイオマーカー / 増悪 / 個別化治療 / 経年変化 / 喫煙

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We conducted various analyzes using data from a prospective 6-year refractory asthma cohort study, including smokers. In this study, we used the terms 'biomarker' as not only the molecules such as cytokines, but also the asthma associated indices such as respiratory function or exacerbation.
We focused on the annual changes in several indices. To date, we obtained no significant results for annual change of cytokine in blood or sputum. We will continue to analyze. Regarding respiratory function, we are currently analyzing, and we will present the result in this year. In 3-year exacerbation study, the group with consistently frequent exacerbators was associated with eosinophil and fractional exhaled nitric oxide, so called 'Th2 markers'. We are trying to identify the phenotype using cut-off value, and now we are preparing a paper.

Free Research Field

呼吸器内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では喫煙者を含む集団を対象として、より実臨床を反映している質の高いコホートである。現在の喘息治療における課題は、治療が難しい「難治性喘息」の患者を、いかに早期に見つけ出して介入するか、というところにあると考えられる。こういった意味では、本研究の結果から、将来の増悪リスクが高い患者群を見つけ出すことができるようになる可能性があり、そういった患者群に対してはより注意して治療介入を行うことができよう。