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AsthmaNCT00779870

Airway Smooth Muscle and Asthma Severity

An observational study of Asthma, run by Imperial College London at 1 site in United Kingdom.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Our hypothesis is that the severity of asthma is determined by the way in which airway smooth muscle cells grow and release inflammatory mediators. Our main objective is to establish how the properties of the airway smooth muscle cell varies with asthma severity. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 60 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Asthma
What is being tested?
bronchoscopy
How many people
18 participants
Where
1 siteUnited Kingdom
Study dates
Oct 2008to Sep 2012
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 60 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Study population: Mild, moderate and severe asthmatics, with a control group of healthy non-smoking volunteers

Who may be able to join

  • Age 18 - 60 Non smokers (or less than 5 pack/yrs if ex-smokers) Normal lung function

Who cannot join

  • History of asthma or allergic rhinitis Any chronic illness Current smokers, or less than 3 years since quitting smoking (< 5 pack/years) PC20 less than 16mg/ml On anti-platelet or anti-coagulant drugs Low platelet count Pregnancy or breast-feeding Previous bronchoscopy within three months of this study

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United Kingdom1 site
  • Royal Brompton Hospital

    London, Sw3 6NP

Other trials in United Kingdom

About this study

Official title: Evaluating the Role of Oxidant/Anti-oxidant Balance and the Relationship of Asthma Severity on Airway Smooth Muscle Proliferation, Migration and Cytokine Release.

Our hypothesis is that the severity of asthma is determined by the way in which airway smooth muscle cells grow and release inflammatory mediators. Our main objective is to establish how the properties of the airway smooth muscle cell varies with asthma severity. Environmental agents, such as cigarette smoke, and inflammation can give rise to oxidative stress - this is a process whereby harmful chemicals called free radicals are formed in the body and damage tissues. The damage caused can be limited/prevented by protective, or anti-oxidant mediators. We will also look at molecules involved in oxidative stress which may affect the way in which the airway smooth muscle grows and produces inflammatory mediators.

Read the detailed description

Aims and Objectives The objective of this study is to examine whether the severity of asthma is related to (and possibly caused by) ASM dysfunction. Severe asthmatics have been shown to have more ASM in bronchial biopsies than non-severe asthmatics16. Because ASM cells can be obtained from bronchial biopsies obtained via bronchoscopy, we will examine endobronchial biopsies from mild, moderate and severe asthmatics, and healthy non-asthmatic subjects to compare features of remodelling (severe asthmatic subjects will have been assessed through the Difficult Asthma Protocol at the Royal Brompton Hospital24). In particular, we will focus on ASM mass, proliferation and changes in expression of different contractile proteins (α-actin and myosin) and chemokines, and will assess in vitro the response of ASM cells to stimulation by TGF-β and IL-1β. We will also examine the effect of dexamethasone on chemokine release and induced proliferation in vitro. We will also study enzymes and anti-oxidants involved in oxidative stress, such as Nox4, MnSOD and catalase, to look at their role in regulating ASM cell proliferation and chemokine synthesis. We want to see if there is an oxidant-anti oxidant balance in ASM in severe asthma compared to non-severe asthma.

AIM:

  1. To establish the difference in ASM phenotype in asthma patients of differing severity of disease in terms of ASM mass, proliferation, migration and chemokine release.

Study design There will be 3 study visits. In the first two visits, the subjects will undergo spirometry with reversibility testing, a methacholine challenge test (to assess degree of bronchial hyper-responsiveness), skin prick tests and IgE levels (to assess atopic status), measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (as a non-invasive marker of inflammation), and the asthmatic subjects will complete an Asthma Control Questionnaire and an Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. The third visit will be on the day admission for the bronchoscopy.

Study protocol:

Visit 1 - screening visit

  • Explain purpose of study- address any queries/concerns
  • History and examination
  • Skin prick tests
  • Blood test for full blood count, clotting profile and IgE
  • Measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO)
  • Spirometry pre and post β agonist
  • Completion of Asthma Control Questionnaire and
  • Completion of Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire

Visit 2 - Methacholine challenge test

Visit 3 - Day admission for fibreoptic bronchoscopy

Conditions
Asthma
Being tested
bronchoscopy
Keywords
asthma severity, airway smooth muscle, oxidative stress
Medical subject headings
Asthma

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • bronchoscopyOther

    bronchoscopy under local anaesthetic and sedation to obtain endobronchial biopsies

Study groups in NCT00779870
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
1healthy volunteers
Receives: Other: bronchoscopy
2mild asthmatics
Receives: Other: bronchoscopy
3moderately-severe asthmatics
Receives: Other: bronchoscopy
4severe asthmatics
Receives: Other: bronchoscopy

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Difference in ASM Mass Between Groups

    Measured: at time of bronchoscopy, an average of 1 hour

  2. Difference in ASM Proliferation, Migration and Cytokine Release Between Groups

    Measured: at time of bronchoscopy, an average of 1 hour

  3. Difference in Intracellular Oxidative Stress Mechanisms From ASM Between Groups

    Expression of Nrf2 protein

    Measured: at time of bronchoscopy, an average of 1 hour

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Correlation Between ASM Mass and Airway Hyper-responsiveness (PC20)

    Measured: at the time of bronchoscopy, an average of 1 hour

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted24 Oct 2008 (estimated)
  2. Study startOct 2008
  3. Primary completionSep 2012
  4. Study completionSep 2012

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrolment
18 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00779870
Sponsor's protocol ID
08/H0708/2
Status last verified
Oct 2019
First submitted
22 Oct 2008
Last updated
31 Oct 2019
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Michaeloudes C, Chang PJ, Petrou M, Chung KF. Transforming growth factor-beta and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 regulate antioxidant responses in airway smooth muscle cells: role in asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011 Oct 15;184(8):894-903. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201011-1780OC.

    PubMed 21799075

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Asthma, run by Imperial College London at 1 site in United Kingdom.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 31 Oct 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 31 Oct 2019). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Difference in ASM Mass Between Groups (time frame: at time of bronchoscopy, an average of 1 hour). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00779870, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 31 Oct 2019.

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