The Combined Impact of Exhaled XXXX and Sputum Eosinophils Monitoring in Asthma Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Study.

@entity1 @entity32 @entity1712 @entity565 @entity842
BACKGROUND: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) treatment for @entity565 control is generally focused on lung function and symptoms, but inadequately correlated with @entity32 . OBJECTIVE: To compare @entity565 control in a group of @entity1 whose treatment was based on fraction of exhaled @entity842 (FENO) and sputum eosinophils (intervention group) with a group in whom treatment was based on clinical score (control group). Study design and primary outcome: Randomized parallel-group longitudinal 24-month study including 5 visits every 6 months. A combination of @entity565 exacerbation rate and symptom score at 24 months was the primary outcome. @entity1 : Fourteen @entity1 with @entity1712 per group were included. RESULTS: In the intervention group, exacerbation rate/ @entity1 /year was reduced at 12 months (0.82) (-73%) and, to a greater extent at 24 months (0.5) (-84%) compared with baseline (3.21, p<0.01). In the control group, a significant reduction in exacerbation rate/ @entity1 /year was only observed between month 12 (3.0) and 24 (2.0, -33%, p<0.01). At 24 months, exacerbation rate was lower (-75%) in the intervention (0.5) than in the control group (2.0, p<0.05). Compared with baseline, mean symptom scores at 24 months were reduced in both groups (intervention group: -72%; control group: -60%), but were lower in the intervention (8.1  1.0, p<0.05; -27%) than in the control group (11  2.6). ICS dose gradually increased in both groups throughout the study, with no between-group differences. CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional strategy, longitudinal monitoring of FENO and sputum eosinophils improves @entity1712 control in terms of reduced symptoms and exacerbations without additional increase in ICS treatment.
