Yung-Chi Chuang , Hsin-Hua Tsai , Meng-Chih Lin , Chao-Chien Wu , Yuan-Chung Lin , Tsu-Nai Wang
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Asthma has been identified as different phenotypes due to various risk factors. Age differences may have potential effects on asthma phenotypes. Our study aimed to identify potential asthma phenotypes among adults divided by age as either younger or older than 65 years. We also compared differences in blood granulocyte patterns, occupational asthmagens, and asthma control-related outcomes among patient phenotype clusters.
Methods
We recruited nonelderly (<65 years old) (n = 726) and elderly adults (≥65 years old) (n = 201) with mild-to-severe asthma. We conducted a factor analysis to select 17 variables. A two-step cluster analysis was used to classify subjects with asthma phenotypes, and a discriminant analysis was used to verify the classification of cluster results.
Results
There were three clusters with different characteristics identified in both the nonelderly and elderly asthmatic adults. In the nonelderly patient group, cluster 2 (obese, neutrophilic phenotypes) had a 1.85-fold significantly increased risk of asthma exacerbations. Cluster 3 (early-onset, atopy, and smoker with an eosinophil-predominant pattern) had a 2.37-fold risk of asthma exacerbations and higher oral corticosteroid (OCS) use than cluster 1 (late-onset and LMW exposure with paucigranulocytic blood pattern). Among elderly patients, cluster 2 had poor lung function and more ex-smokers. Cluster 3 (early-onset, long asthma duration) had the lowest paucigranulocytic blood pattern percentages in the elderly group.
Conclusions
The novelty of the clusters was found in age-dependent clusters. We identified three distinct phenotypes with heterogeneous characteristics, asthma exacerbations and medicine use in nonelderly and elderly asthmatic patients, respectively. Classification of age-stratified asthma phenotypes may lead to precise identification of patients, which provides personalized disease management.
期刊介绍:
Allergology International is the official journal of the Japanese Society of Allergology and publishes original papers dealing with the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of allergic and related diseases. Papers may include the study of methods of controlling allergic reactions, human and animal models of hypersensitivity and other aspects of basic and applied clinical allergy in its broadest sense.
The Journal aims to encourage the international exchange of results and encourages authors from all countries to submit papers in the following three categories: Original Articles, Review Articles, and Letters to the Editor.