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Clusterin may be biomarker for asthma severity

Clusterin may be a biomarker of asthma severity and the burden of oxidative stress in patients with asthma, and the expression may be a useful way to assess airway inflammation, according to data from a recent study.

“Oxidative stress is important in the pathogenesis of asthma,” researchers wrote. “It has been associated with many pathophysiologic changes in this disease, such as increased production of chemoattractants, increased lipid peroxidation, stimulation of vascular permeability, and increased airway remodeling. Increased oxidative stress also has been related to the development of severe asthma refractory to antiasthma medications.”

Hyouk-Soo Kwon, MD, PhD, of the department of allergy and clinical immunology at the Asan Medical Center and University of Ulsan College of Medicine, in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues examined 142 patients with asthma who also participated in the Cohort for Reality and Evolution of Adult Asthma in Korea study.

They found that forced expiration volume (FEV) and Asthma Control Test scores were significantly lower in patients with severe asthma compared with those with mild or moderate asthma (P<.01). In addition, serum clusterin levels were inversely correlated with the percentage of predicted FEV in 1 second (FEV1; P=.024) and positively correlated with age (P<.01) in all patients with asthma, according to researchers.

Data also indicated that serum clusterin concentration was significantly lower after (82.1 mcg/mL) the use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) compared with before (76.3 mcg/mL). The initial mean dose of ICS prescribed to steroid-naive patients was 434.6 mcg, according to researchers. Researchers observed no correlation between the initial prescribed dose of ICS and changes in clusterin levels after treatment (P=.097).

“These findings indicate the need to investigate antioxidants appropriate to treat each subtype of asthma and the ideal situations for their use based on exact assessments of oxidative stress status in patients with asthma,” researchers concluded.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.