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Atopic asthma patients show worse asthma severity vs nonatopic asthma patients

Patients with atopy had higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels and worse asthma severity compared with patients with nonatopic asthma, according to recent research.

“There appear to be important differences in asthma morbidity between the atopic and nonatopic asthma phenotypes. This study population was restricted to inner-city adolescents with asthma, a population that is disproportionately burdened with asthma and asthma morbidity,” Whitney D. Arroyave, PhD, from the Tulane University School of Public Health in New Orleans, and colleagues wrote. “This analysis has shown that asthma severity does differ by atopic status in this population, with participants with atopic asthma having worse severity as measured by the [Composite Asthma Severity Index (CASI)].”

Arroyave and colleagues evaluated 546 inner city adolescents who were part of the Asthma Control Evaluation study, according to the abstract. The researchers analyzed atopic status using a pinprick skin test evaluation of 14 different aeroallergens and an immunoglobulin E (IgE) test that determined a reaction to five aeroallergens. They used the Asthma Control Test and Composite Asthma Severity Index to determine asthma control and asthma severity, respectively, as well as measured fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels at different follow-up points for 1 year.

The researchers found that CASI scores increased by 0.90 point from baseline in patients with atopy, while FeNO levels increased by 0.95 natural logarithmic unit at baseline, according to the abstract.

Further, patients with increased total IgE but no atopy had an increased FeNO level of 0.73 natural logarithmic unit compared with patients with a low total IgE. In patients with a high total IgE, there was a non-significant increase in CASI scores. However, among patients with atopy, patients with high IgE scores also had higher CASI scores and FeNO levels compared with patients who had low total IgE scores. – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.