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. 2024 Mar;12(3):686-698.e8.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.09.023. Epub 2023 Sep 29.

Clinical Subtypes of Neutrophilic Asthma: A Cluster Analysis From Australasian Severe Asthma Network

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Clinical Subtypes of Neutrophilic Asthma: A Cluster Analysis From Australasian Severe Asthma Network

Li Xiu He et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Clinical heterogeneity may exist within asthma subtypes defined by inflammatory markers. However, the heterogeneity of neutrophilic asthma (NA) remains largely unexplored.

Objective: To explore potential clusters and the stability of NA.

Methods: Participants with NA from the Australasian Severe Asthma Network underwent a multidimensional assessment. They were then asked to participate in a 12-month longitudinal cohort study. We explored potential clusters using a hierarchical cluster analysis and validated the differential future risk of asthma exacerbations in the identified clusters. A decision tree analysis was developed to predict cluster assignments. Finally, the stability of prespecified clusters was examined within 1 month.

Results: Three clusters were identified in 149 patients with NA. Cluster 1 (n = 99; 66.4%) was characterized by female-predominant nonsmokers with well-controlled NA, cluster 2 (n = 16; 10.7%) by individuals with comorbid anxiety/depressive symptoms with poorly controlled NA, and cluster 3 by older male smokers with late-onset NA. Cluster 2 had a greater proportion of participants with severe exacerbations (P = .005), hospitalization (P = .010), and unscheduled visits (P = .013) and a higher number of emergency room visits (P = .039) than that of the other two clusters. The decision tree assigned 92.6% of participants correctly. Most participants (87.5%; n = 7) in cluster 2 had a stable NA phenotype, whereas participants of clusters 1 and 3 had variable phenotypes.

Conclusions: We identified three clinical clusters of NA, in which cluster 2 represents an uncontrolled and stable NA subtype with an elevated risk of exacerbations. These findings have clinical implications for the management of NA.

Keywords: Asthma; Cluster analysis; Heterogeneity; Neutrophilic asthma; Phenotype variability; Phenotypes.

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