New inflammatory biomarkers in asthma

• Grant number: 22/01707-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2022
• End date: February 28, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: José Antônio Baddini Martinez
• Grantee: José Antônio Baddini Martinez
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Fernando Sergio Studart Leitão Filho

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways, where monitoring of the inflammatory process is clinically relevant. Despite different inflammatory phenotypes, clinically useful biomarkers are only available for the eosinophilic form of the disease. Furthermore, data from our laboratory indicate that measurements on nasal lavage properly reflect the degree of eosinophilia in the induced sputum of these patients. Therefore, the search for new biomarkers that are simpler, cheaper, easier to obtain and more widely applicable is an important medical issue. This project will investigate pH measurements and concentrations of ultrasensitive reactive C protein (hsRCP) in nasal lavage and induced sputum from asthmatic patients and healthy controls. Composite indices that include cell counts and hsRCP levels in respiratory secretions will also be explored, such as the percentage ratio of neutrophils/percentage of lymphocytes multiplied by the concentration of this inflammatory protein. The degree of response of these possible biomarkers to treatment with inhaled steroids will also be evaluated in untreated asthmatics or in those with uncontrolled disease. (AU)