CYTOKINE/CHEMOKINE RESPONSE IN ASTHMA EXACERBATIONS DUE TO COLDS

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。许多哮喘患者在上呼吸道感染（头感冒）时，哮喘症状会恶化。鼻病毒（RV）是一种常见的感冒病毒，经常与儿童和年轻人的哮喘加重有关。这项研究着眼于为什么一些哮喘患者在感冒时哮喘会恶化，而另一些人则不会。是病毒的类型还是个体对任何病毒的反应导致哮喘症状恶化？患有哮喘的研究志愿者被要求在感冒时给研究单位打电话。研究样本包括洗鼻液、痰液（从肺部咳出的粘液）、血液，在某些情况下，在安全允许的情况下，在出现感冒症状时采集肺部的液体和组织样本，然后在感冒症状和哮喘症状恢复正常时再次采集。我们发现，与RV以外的病毒引起的感冒相比，RV引起的感冒患者哮喘恶化的频率有增加的趋势。研究正在进行中，以确定随着我们研究的人越来越多，这种趋势是否会变得更加明显。这项研究还探讨了一些人因RV感冒而哮喘症状恶化的原因，而另一些人则没有。我们正专注于一种叫做干扰素（IFNg）的蛋白质。先前的研究表明，暴露于RV时产生低水平IFNg的个体往往有更严重的哮喘症状恶化。本研究还将测量IFNg，以确定哮喘恶化是否与低水平的IFNg有关。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Many patients with asthma have worsening of asthma symptoms when they have an upper respiratory infection (head cold). Rhinovirus (RV), a common cold virus, is frequently linked with asthma exacerbations in children and young adults. This study looks at the why some individuals with asthma have worsening of their asthma when they get a cold and other individuals do not. Is it the type of virus or is the individual's reaction to any virus that causes the worsening of asthma symptoms. Research volunteers with asthma are asked to call the research unit when they develop a cold. Research samples including nasal washings, sputum (mucous coughed up from the lungs), blood, and in some cases, when safety allows, samples of fluid and tissue from the lungs are taken during the time when cold symptoms are present and then again when cold symptoms and asthma symptoms have returned to normal. We have found that there is a trend towards an increased frequency of asthma worsening in subjects who have a cold due to RV when compared to colds caused by viruses other than RV. Studies are ongoing to determine if this trend becomes more pronounced as we study more people. This study also looks at the reason that some individuals will have worsening of asthma symptoms with an RV cold while other individuals do not. We are focusing on a protein called interferon gamma (IFNg). Previous studies have indicated that individuals who make a low level of IFNg when exposed to RV tend to have greater worsening of asthma symptoms. Measurements of IFNg will also be made in this study to see if asthma exacerbations are associated with low levels of IFNg.