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Association of elevated fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentration and blood eosinophil count with severe asthma exacerbations

Abstract:
Background:Blood eosinophil count (BEC) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) concentration are established biomarkers in asthma, associated particularly with the risk of exacerbations. We evaluated the relationship of BEC and FeNO as complementary and independent biomarkers of severe asthma exacerbations. Methods:This observational study included data from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database. Asthma patients (18-80 years) with valid continuous data for 1 year before FeNO reading, ≥ 1 inhaled corticosteroid prescription, and BEC recorded ≤ 5 years before FeNO reading were separated into cohorts. Categorisation 1 was based on the American Thoracic Society criteria for elevated FeNO concentration (high: ≥ 50 ppb; non-high: < 25 ppb) and BEC (high: ≥ 0.300 × 109 cells/L; non-high: < 0.300 × 109 cells/L). Categorisation 2 (FeNO concentration, high: ≥ 35 ppb; non-high: < 35 ppb) was based on prior research. Reference groups included patients with neither biomarker raised. Results:In categorisation 1, patients with either high FeNO or high BEC (n = 200) had a numerically greater exacerbation rate (unadjusted rate ratio, 1.31 [95% confidence interval: 0.97, 1.76]) compared with patients in the reference group. Combination of high FeNO and high BEC (n = 27) resulted in a significantly greater exacerbation rate (3.67 [1.49, 9.04]). Similarly, for categorisation 2, when both biomarkers were raised (n = 53), a significantly greater exacerbation rate was observed (1.72 [1.00, 2.93]). Conclusion:The combination of high FeNO and high BEC was associated with significantly increased severe exacerbation rates in the year preceding FeNO reading, suggesting that combining FeNO and BEC measurements in primary care may identify asthma patients at risk of exacerbations.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1186/s13601-019-0282-7

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
NDM
Sub department:
Target Discovery Institute
Oxford college:
St Edmund Hall
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-4288-5973


Publisher:
BioMed Central
Journal:
Clinical and Translational Allergy More from this journal
Volume:
9
Article number:
41
Publication date:
2019-01-01
Acceptance date:
2019-08-08
DOI:
EISSN:
2045-7022
Pmid:
31452870


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:1049909
UUID:
uuid:0d3b5fc0-eca9-4bf1-8be3-890c82adaedb
Local pid:
pubs:1049909
Source identifiers:
1049909
Deposit date:
2019-09-10

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