Clinical trial NCT00576069: Mechanism(s)of Airflow Limitation in Moderate-severe Persistent Asthma
Official title: Evaluation of Mechanism(s)Limiting Expiratory Airflow in Chronic, Stable Asthmatics Who Are Non-smokers
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Conditions: Asthma
Keywords: asthma
lung function
inflammation
Lead sponsor: Gelb, Arthur F., M.D.
Sponsor class: INDIV
First posted: 2007-12-18
Enrollment: 60
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 10
Maximum age (years): 95
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Chronic Asthmatics

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the site and mechanisms responsible for expiratory airflow limitation in chronic, treated, non-smoking, stable asthmatics with moderate to severe persistent expiratory airflow obstruction. Treatment will include inhaled corticosteroids and long acting beta2agonists and long acting muscarinic antagonists. We are interested in determining whether the large and/or small airways are the predominant site of airflow limitation. We are also interested in determining whether intrinsic small airways obstruction and/or loss of lung elastic recoil is responsible for expiratory airflow limitation and to what extent may be attributed to loss of lung elastic recoil vs decreased airway conductance in peripheral airways. We are also interested to evaluate the role of varying doses of inhaled corticosteroids to suppress large and small airway inflammation using exhaled nitric oxide as surrogate markers of inflammation. For comparison purposes, spirometry and measurements of exhaled nitric oxide will also be obtained if possible during a naturally occurring exacerbation of asthma. High resolution thin section CT of the lung will also be obtained. Analysis will evaluate integrity of the lung parenchyma as to absence and or presence of emphysema and extent of emphysema using voxel quantification. We will also investigate optical coherence tomography to detect clinically unsuspected emphysema. We will also obtain autopsy material when available in asthmatics who expire. Will also measure serum periostin as a marker of inflammation by collaborating with Genetech in San Francisco.

Detailed description: Results will be evaluated during exacerbation and when stable following treatment.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Current non-smoking (\<10 pack yr smoking history)
* Stable, treated asthmatics
* Age 12-95 yr
* post 180ug albuterol by MDI: FEV 1/FVC \< 70% and FEV 1 \<80% predicted

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnancy

Primary outcomes:
measure: use exhaled nitric oxide as a surrogate marker of large airway vs small airway/lung inflammation following various doses of inhaled corticosteroids
timeFrame: 20-60 days
measure: determine site of airflow limitation, whether predominantly large and /or small airways using expiratory flow volume curves obtained before and after asthmatics breathe a 80% helium-20% oxygen gas mixture
timeFrame: 20-60 days
measure: investigate the mechanisms that limit expiratory airflow: intrinsic airway obstruction vs loss of lung elastic recoil
timeFrame: 20-60 days
measure: determine the extent of asthma and distribution of emphysema
timeFrame: within 10 days following death or explanted lung if lung transplant obtained
Secondary outcomes:
measure: dynamic hyperinflation
timeFrame: 20-60 days
measure: Evaluate large and small airways and lung parenchyma in autopsied or transplanted lung in asthmatics and look for unsuspected emphysema
timeFrame: June 2018
measure: Optical Coherence Tomography
timeFrame: June 2015
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Lakewood
country: United States
facility: Arthur F Gelb Medical Corporation
state: California
Study officials:
affiliation: Arthur F Gelb Medical Corporation
name: Arthur F Gelb, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Gelb AF, Zamel N. Unsuspected pseudophysiologic emphysema in chronic persistent asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000 Nov;162(5):1778-82. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.162.5.2001037.
citation: Gelb AF, Licuanan J, Shinar CM, Zamel N. Unsuspected loss of lung elastic recoil in chronic persistent asthma. Chest. 2002 Mar;121(3):715-21. doi: 10.1378/chest.121.3.715.
citation: Gelb AF, Gutierrez CA, Weisman IM, Newsom R, Taylor CF, Zamel N. Simplified detection of dynamic hyperinflation. Chest. 2004 Dec;126(6):1855-60. doi: 10.1378/chest.126.6.1855.
citation: Gelb AF, Flynn Taylor C, Shinar CM, Gutierrez C, Zamel N. Role of spirometry and exhaled nitric oxide to predict exacerbations in treated asthmatics. Chest. 2006 Jun;129(6):1492-9. doi: 10.1378/chest.129.6.1492.
citation: Gelb AF, Taylor CF, Nussbaum E, Gutierrez C, Schein A, Shinar CM, Schein MJ, Epstein JD, Zamel N. Alveolar and airway sites of nitric oxide inflammation in treated asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004 Oct 1;170(7):737-41. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200403-408OC. Epub 2004 Jun 30.
citation: Gelb AF, Zamel N, Krishnan A. Physiologic similarities and differences between asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2008 Jan;14(1):24-30. doi: 10.1097/MCP.0b013e3282f197df.
citation: Gelb AF, Moridzadeh R, Singh DH, Fraser C, George SC. In moderate-to-severe asthma patients monitoring exhaled nitric oxide during exacerbation is not a good predictor of spirometric response to oral corticosteroid. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012 Jun;129(6):1491-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2012.03.036. Epub 2012 May 2.
citation: Gelb AF, Yamamoto A, Mauad T, Kollin J, Schein MJ, Nadel JA. Unsuspected mild emphysema in nonsmoking patients with chronic asthma with persistent airway obstruction. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014 Jan;133(1):263-5.e1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2013.09.045. Epub 2013 Nov 28. No abstract available.
citation: Gelb AF, Singh DH, Moridzadeh R, Fraser C, Tran D, Verbanck S, George SC. Age-stratified comparison of large and peripheral airway/alveolar nitric oxide levels in children and young adults. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013 Nov;132(5):1222-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2013.05.045. Epub 2013 Aug 6. No abstract available.
citation: Gelb AF, Yamamoto A, Verbeken EK, Nadel JA. Unraveling the Pathophysiology of the Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome: Unsuspected Mild Centrilobular Emphysema Is Responsible for Loss of Lung Elastic Recoil in Never Smokers With Asthma With Persistent Expiratory Airflow Limitation. Chest. 2015 Aug;148(2):313-320. doi: 10.1378/chest.14-2483.
citation: Gelb AF, Nadel JA. Understanding the pathophysiology of the asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015 Sep;136(3):553-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.06.013. No abstract available.
citation: Gelb AF, Christenson SA, Nadel JA. Understanding the pathophysiology of the asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2016 Mar;22(2):100-5. doi: 10.1097/MCP.0000000000000236.
citation: Gelb AF, Yamamoto A, Verbeken E, Grigorian SR, Nadel JA. Asthma and emphysema overlap in nonsmokers. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2020 Dec;125(6):711-713. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2020.08.010. Epub 2020 Aug 10. No abstract available.
citation: Gelb AF, Yamamoto A, Verbeken EK, Schein MJ, Moridzadeh R, Tran D, Fraser C, Barbers R, Elatre W, Koss MN, Glassy EF, Nadel JA. Further Studies of Unsuspected Emphysema in Nonsmoking Patients With Asthma With Persistent Expiratory Airflow Obstruction. Chest. 2018 Mar;153(3):618-629. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2017.11.016. Epub 2017 Nov 29.
citation: Gelb AF, George SC, Camacho F, Fraser C, Flynn Taylor C, Shakkottai S. Increased nitric oxide concentrations in the small airway of older normal subjects. Chest. 2011 Feb;139(2):368-375. doi: 10.1378/chest.10-1157. Epub 2010 Aug 12.
citation: Gelb AF, George SC, Silkoff PE, Krishnan A, Fraser C, Taylor CF, Shinar CM, Maginot T. Central and peripheral airway/alveolar sites of exhaled nitric oxide in acute asthma. Thorax. 2010 Jul;65(7):619-25. doi: 10.1136/thx.2009.132696.