Manuel J Rial1, Maria J Álvarez-Puebla2, Ebymar Arismendi3,4, María L Caballero5, José A Cañas1,3, María J Cruz3,6,7, Francisco J González-Barcala3,8, Juan A Luna5, Carlos Martínez-Rivera3,9, Joaquim Mullol3,10, Xavier Muñoz3,6,7, José M Olaguibel2,3, César Picado3,4, Vicente Plaza3,11, Santiago Quirce3,5, Christian Romero-Mesones7, Francisco-Javier Salgado12, Beatriz Sastre1,3, Lorena Soto-Retes3,11, Antonio Valero3,4, Marcela Valverde1, Joaquín Sastre1,3, Victora Del Pozo1,3. 1. Servicio de Alergología, Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain. 2. Servicio de Alergología, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. 3. CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain. 4. Servicio de Neumología y Alergia, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 5. Servicio de Alergia, Hospital Universitario La Paz, IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain. 6. Departamento de Biología Celular, Fisiología e Inmunología, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 7. Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. 8. Servicio de Neumología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. 9. Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain. 10. ENT Department, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 11. Departamento de Medicina Respiratoria, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Departamento de Medicina, Barcelona, Spain. 12. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology-Biological Research Centre (CIBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The MEGA (MEchanism underlying the Genesis and evolution of Asthma) project is a multicenter cohort study carried out in eight Spanish hospitals, gathering clinical, physiological, and molecular data from patients with asthma and multimorbidities in order to gain insight into the different physiopathological mechanisms involved in this disorder. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We report the baseline clinical and physiological characteristics and biomarker measures of adult participants in the project with the aim of better understanding the natural history and underlying mechanisms of asthma as well as the associated multimorbidities across different levels of severity. We carried out a detailed clinical examination, pulmonary function testing, measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), blood counts, induced sputum, skin prick tests, chest computed tomography scan, asthma questionnaires, and multimorbidity assessment in 512 asthmatic patients. RESULTS: When compared to patients with milder disease, severe asthmatic patients showed greater presence of symptoms, more exacerbations, lower asthma control, increased airflow obstruction, and higher frequency of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, severe rhinitis, anxiety and depression, gastroesophageal reflux, and bronchiectasis. CONCLUSION: The MEGA project succeeded in recruiting a high number of asthma patients, especially those with severe disease, who showed lower control and higher frequency of multimorbidities.
INTRODUCTION: The MEGA (MEchanism underlying the Genesis and evolution of Asthma) project is a multicenter cohort study carried out in eight Spanish hospitals, gathering clinical, physiological, and molecular data from patients with asthma and multimorbidities in order to gain insight into the different physiopathological mechanisms involved in this disorder. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We report the baseline clinical and physiological characteristics and biomarker measures of adult participants in the project with the aim of better understanding the natural history and underlying mechanisms of asthma as well as the associated multimorbidities across different levels of severity. We carried out a detailed clinical examination, pulmonary function testing, measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), blood counts, induced sputum, skin prick tests, chest computed tomography scan, asthma questionnaires, and multimorbidity assessment in 512 asthmatic patients. RESULTS: When compared to patients with milder disease, severe asthmatic patients showed greater presence of symptoms, more exacerbations, lower asthma control, increased airflow obstruction, and higher frequency of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, severe rhinitis, anxiety and depression, gastroesophageal reflux, and bronchiectasis. CONCLUSION: The MEGA project succeeded in recruiting a high number of asthmapatients, especially those with severe disease, who showed lower control and higher frequency of multimorbidities.
Authors: Diana Betancor; José María Olaguibel; José Manuel Rodrigo-Muñoz; Ebymar Arismendi; Pilar Barranco; Blanca Barroso; Irina Bobolea; Blanca Cárdaba; María Jesús Cruz; Elena Curto; Victoria Del Pozo; Francisco-Javier González-Barcala; Carlos Martínez-Rivera; Joaquim Mullol; Xavier Muñoz; Cesar Picado; Vicente Plaza; Santiago Quirce; Manuel Jorge Rial; Lorena Soto; Antonio Valero; Marcela Valverde-Monge; Joaquin Sastre Journal: Clin Transl Allergy Date: 2022-08-20 Impact factor: 5.657