Skip to content

Examining Changes in Nasal IL-1 During Acute Asthma Exacerbation in Adolescents

A Pilot Study Examining Changes in Nasal IL-1 During Acute Asthma Exacerbation in Adolescents

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04748055
Acronym
Attack Asthma
Enrollment
40
Registered
2021-02-10
Start date
2021-07-27
Completion date
2024-02-08
Last updated
2026-06-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Asthma

Keywords

Asthma in children, Asthma attack

Brief summary

To study the change from baseline in IL-1β (interleukin 1 beta) concentrations in the nasal airway during acute asthma exacerbation, specifically to measure the degree of change and identify the timing of peak IL-1β concentration. This information will allow the investigators to estimate effect size and guide decisions about the optimal timing of anakinra administration for the future study.

Detailed description

The study team will recruit 60 teens and young adults with persistent asthma who are at high risk for future exacerbation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Children's Allergy and Asthma Center in Raleigh, NC. Participants will complete 13 study visits: an initial in-person visit (the study team will make every attempt to coordinate this visit with a scheduled clinic visit) and 12 monthly virtual follow up visits. Participants will be asked to use an at home spirometer once daily in the evening and will also complete an electronic asthma survey each night. Participants will also be provided with a sensor that tracks their rescue medication use throughout the study. Participants will undergo collection of nasal epithelial lining fluid (NELF) at the baseline visit. During the 12 months of study, participants will self-collect NELF samples if certain prespecified criteria for asthma exacerbation are met. Samples will be analyzed for IL-1β, interleukin receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) and other mediators associated with acute asthma exacerbation. Virtual follow up visits using a video platform will occur monthly for 12 months. Participants will self-report healthcare utilization and prescription for systemic corticosteroids. Spirometry and symptom survey data will be matched to subject-reported asthma exacerbations. The study design is adapted to minimize in-person visits, using web-based platforms for virtual visits and self-collection of samples to prioritize safety during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
12 Years to 21 Years

Inclusion criteria

* Ages 12 to 21 years, inclusive, of both genders * Physician diagnosis of persistent asthma or symptoms consistent with persistent asthma based on expert guidelines for diagnosis and management of asthma (1). * Current use of a controller therapy such as an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), ICS in combination with long-acting beta agonist (LABA), or leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA). * Asthma is "not well controlled" (participant must have ≥1 of the following): * Asthma Control Test (ACT) score \<20, * FEV1 \<80% of predicted, * Meets Global Initiative on Asthma (GINA) criteria for partly controlled or uncontrolled asthma (2): In the past 4 weeks, has the patient had: * Daytime symptoms \>2x/week? * Any night waking due to asthma? * SABA reliever needed \>2x/week? * Any activity limitation due to asthma? * \[0 = Well controlled; 1-2 = Partly controlled; 3-4 = Uncontrolled\] * A history of at least one exacerbation requiring systemic corticosteroids (oral, IM or IV) in the past 24 months * Access to a smartphone * Wireless internet access in the participant's home * Access to a standard freezer in the home

Exclusion criteria

* Systemic corticosteroid-dependent asthma (i.e. people who take oral steroids such as prednisone daily for asthma control). Use of other immunomodulator medications (such as biologics for asthma like omalizumab, etc) is allowable so long as the participant has been on a stable dose of the medication for at least 3 months. * Participants whose asthma is sufficiently severe that the participants routinely require rescue albuterol multiple times a day for symptom relief (not including pre-exercise albuterol use). * Pulmonary disease other than asthma that in the opinion of investigators may affect the interpretation of spirometry data, including but not limited to vocal cord dysfunction, restrictive lung disease, or cystic fibrosis. * Inability to perform spirometry. * History of spirometry-induced bronchoconstriction. * Pregnancy or nursing a baby. Due to the effect of hormonal changes of pregnancy/lactation on airway inflammation, participants who are pregnant or nursing will be excluded from study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage Change From Baseline in Nasal IL-1β (pg/mL) Concentrations During Asthma ExacerbationBaseline and up to 5 days from the time asthma exacerbation is diagnosed (Months 1-12)Nasal epithelial lining fluid (NELF) is collected during a period of wellness (baseline) and daily during acute asthma exacerbation (defined by pre-specified criteria) for 5 days. This outcome is defined as the percent change from baseline in nasal IL-1β concentration during acute asthma exacerbation, calculated by comparing the peak concentration observed during the exacerbation to the baseline concentration (i.e., \[(peak value of IL-1β during exacerbation - baseline value of IL-1β)/baseline value of IL-1β\] x100). Results are summarized using the median and interquartile range.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage Change From Baseline in Forced Expiratory Volume in the First Second (FEV1) in Liters During Asthma ExacerbationBaseline and up to 5 days from the time asthma exacerbation is diagnosed (Months 1-12)FEV1 will be measured during a period of wellness (baseline) and daily during acute asthma exacerbation defined by pre-specified criteria for 5 days. This outcome is defined as the percent change from baseline in FEV1 during acute asthma exacerbation, calculated by comparing the maximum decline in FEV1 observed during the exacerbation to the baseline FEV1 \[(max decline of FEV1 during exacerbation - baseline value of FEV1)/baseline value of FEV1\] x100).
Percentage Change From Baseline in Nasal IL-1RA (pg/mL) Concentration During Asthma ExacerbationBaseline and up to 5 days from the time asthma exacerbation is diagnosed (Months 1-12)Nasal epithelial lining fluid (NELF) is collected during a period of wellness (baseline) and daily during acute asthma exacerbation defined by pre-specified criteria for 5 days. This outcome is defined as the percent change from baseline in nasal IL-1RA concentration during acute asthma exacerbation, calculated by comparing the peak concentration observed during the exacerbation to the baseline concentration (i.e., \[(peak value of IL-1RA during exacerbation - baseline value of IL-1RA)/baseline value of IL-1RA\] x100). Results are summarized using the median and interquartile range.
Correlation Over Time Between Percentage Change in Nasal IL-1β Concentration From Baseline and Percentage Change in FEV1 From Baseline During Asthma ExacerbationBaseline and up to 5 days from the time asthma exacerbation is diagnosed (Months 1-12)Assess the relationship between the asthma exacerbation-induced percentage change from baseline in NELF IL-1β concentrations and the asthma exacerbation-induced percentage change from baseline in FEV1. Pearson's correlation coefficient will be calculated to evaluate the relationship between peak percentage increase in IL-1b levels from baseline and maximum percentage decline in FEV1 from baseline during exacerbation

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAllison Burbank, MD

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Participant flow

Recruitment details

A convenience sample of adolescent and young adult patients receiving asthma specialty care in pulmonology and/or allergy clinics was enrolled at a single institution.

Baseline characteristics

Characteristic
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
37 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
3 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
1 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
39 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)98 percent
Interleukin-1b (IL-1b)29.7 picograms per milliliter
Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA)187397.6 picograms per milliliter
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
20 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
3 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
14 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
19 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
21 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 40
other
Total, other adverse events
20 / 40
serious
Total, serious adverse events
1 / 40

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jun 30, 2026