Sample Collections From the Airways of Asthmatic Patients

Inclusion criteria

• ✓. Patients undergoing a research bronchoscopy will be between 18 and 75 years of age, male or female. The diagnosis of asthma requires a history of intermittent, reversible expiratory flow limitation. In addition, patients will have demonstrated evidence of either an abnormal methacholine challenge or reversible airway obstruction. An abnormal methacholine challenge will be defined as a decrease in FEV1 of at least 20% at a PD20 dose \< 200 microgram. Reversible airway obstruction will be defined as an improvement of at least 10% in either the FEV1 or FVC following bronchodilator treatment. Methacholine challenge testing will not be performed if the subject has a history of allergy to methacholine. Results of testing performed by the subject s primary care provider may be accepted as evidence of reversible airflow obstruction.
• ✓. For women of childbearing potential, negative pregnancy test and willingness to adhere to reliable birth control methods prior to
• ✓. Asthmatic research subjects who will only be providing research blood specimens, nasal epithelial lining fluid, spontaneously expectorated sputum, or exhaled breath condensate, and will not be undergoing a research bronchoscopy or sputum induction, may participate in the protocol by providing a clinical history that they have asthma and are not pregnant. Documentation of an abnormal methacholine challenge or reversible airflow obstruction or a negative pregnancy test, for women of childbearing age, will not be required for donation of research blood specimens, or other non-invasive samples, such as nasal epithelial lining fluid, sputum, or exhaled breath condensate.

Exclusion criteria