Obesity-related Host Susceptibility Factors for Asthma in Women

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The candidate is a clinically trained pulmonologist who has recently embarked on a career in translational research at the University of New Mexico. The candidate's long-term objective is to establish a fully funded, independent research career and provide national leadership in the field of asthma epidemiology. He is interested in investigating the role of obesity-related host susceptibility factors for asthma in women. Interest in this field developed during routine clinical observations that prompted the candidate to re-emphasize his past training in epidemiology during his fellowship. The proposed career development plan incorporates a multi-disciplinary program designed to provide an intense, closely mentored, patient-oriented research experience in association with a structured didactic curriculum in specific competencies related to the candidate's project and career goals. Under the mentorship of senior investigators, Marianne Benwick, Ph.D., Mark Schuyler, MD and Clifford Quails, Ph.D., the candidate will investigate whether central adiposity and the pro-inflammatory balance of serum adipokines affect specific physiologic and pathophysiologic sub- phenotypes of asthma in pre-menopausal women with asthma. Specific Aim 1 will examine the association between central adiposity and ainway outcome measures, using a cross-sectional study of 200 pre- menopausal women with methacholine challenge-confirmed asthma. Airway outcome measures include dynamic hyperinflation following methacholine bronchoprovocation and markers of eosinophilic inflammation and oxidant stress in induced sputum and exhaled breath condensate respectively. Specific Aim 2 involves a nested prospective cohort of 19 obese and 19 normal weight eumenorrheic women with asthma. The effect of diurnal and menstrual phase-related physiological variation in serum leptin to adiponectin ratio on ainn/ay outcome measures will be studied. This area of research is considered a high priority at the 2004 workshop on 'Obesity and Asthma' by the NHLBI. This study may help define the mechanistic basis forthe relationship between obesity and asthma, which in turn may make possible newer ways of treatment and prevention of asthma. RELEVANCE (See instructions): This study may help define the mechanistic basis for the relationship between asthma and obesity-related host susceptibility factors in women, which in turn may make possible newer ways of treatment and prevention of asthma. This study will also provide mentored training to a clinician for a patient-oriented research career. (End of Abstract)