Molecular Endotypes Contribute to the Heterogeneity of Asthma

Erwin W Gelfand; Michaela Schedel

doi:10.1016/j.iac.2018.06.008

Molecular Endotypes Contribute to the Heterogeneity of Asthma

Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2018 Nov;38(4):655-665. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2018.06.008. Epub 2018 Sep 21.

Authors

Erwin W Gelfand¹, Michaela Schedel²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Cell Biology, Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO 80206, USA.
² Division of Cell Biology, Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO 80206, USA. Electronic address: schedelm@njhealth.org.

PMID: 30342586
DOI: 10.1016/j.iac.2018.06.008

Abstract

Diagnosis and management of asthma is commonly implemented based on clinical assessment. Although these nonmolecular biomarkers have been useful, limited resolution of the heterogeneity among asthmatic patients and little information regarding the underlying pathobiology of disease in individuals have been provided. Molecular endotying using global transcriptome expression profiling associated with clinical features of asthma has improved our understanding of disease mechanisms, risk assessment of asthma exacerbations, and treatment responses, especially in patients with type 2 inflammation. Further advances in establishing pathobiological subgroups, bioactive pathways, and true disease endotypes hold potential for a more personalized medical approach in asthmatic patients.

Keywords: Asthma; Biomarker; Endotypes; Epithelium; Human rhinovirus infection; Sputum; Steroid-resistant asthma; Transcriptomics.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Asthma / genetics*
Asthma / immunology*
Humans
Phenotype*
Sputum / immunology
Transcriptome / genetics*
Transcriptome / immunology*