Ishita Roy

Simpler, Faster Asthma Diagnosis for Kids with Nasal Swab

New nasal swab test for asthma

With the increasing pollution and toxic fog in the UK, US, and Canada, there are growing concerns in <span><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/asthma">asthma</a></span>, especially in children. A new, quick and easy way for kids is the new nasal swab test. This, when performed on kids can diagnose the specific immune system drivers behind their asthma. It can also open the door to better treatments, say the researchers. 

The test diagnoses a child's asthma subtype, also known as endotype. “Because asthma is a highly variable disease with different endotypes, which are driven by different immune cells and respond differently to treatments, the first step toward better therapies is accurate diagnosis of endotype,” senior researcher Dr. Juan Celedon, chief of pulmonary medicine at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said in a news release from the hospital.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease, especially of childhood, affecting 1 in every 10 kids. These statistics are presented by the National Institutes of Health. As per the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, it affects 6 million children in the United States, also verified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America states that around 8.4% male children have asthma, while 5.5% female children have it, making it the most common and costly disease in children in the United States. 

Asthma is a complex condition that affects millions of children, and diagnosing its specific type has traditionally been a challenging process. Doctors categorize asthma into different subtypes based on the immune cells that trigger airway inflammation. The main types are T2-high, caused by T helper 2 cells; T17-high, driven by T helper 17 cells; and low-low, where neither of these cells seems to play a role.

Identifying these subtypes typically involves a highly invasive procedure where a small sample of lung tissue is taken while the child is under anesthesia. This sample undergoes genetic analysis to determine the specific asthma type. However, this procedure is rarely used, especially for children with milder asthma, due to the risks involved.

Instead, doctors often rely on indirect tests, such as blood work, lung function assessments, and allergy tests, to make an educated guess about the asthma subtype. While these methods can help identify T2-high asthma, they are not entirely accurate and cannot reliably diagnose T17-high or low-low asthma.

This diagnostic gap led researchers to develop a new, less invasive approach. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers introduced a nasal swab test that analyzes the presence of specific genetic markers associated with the different asthma subtypes.

The study involved nearly 460 children from Puerto Rican and African American backgrounds, groups that face higher asthma rates and a greater risk of severe outcomes. By analyzing nasal samples from these children, the researchers identified eight key genes linked to T2 or T17 immune cells. The nasal swab accurately determined each child’s asthma subtype, providing a much-needed alternative to invasive lung tissue sampling.

This new test has significant implications for asthma treatment. For example, children with T2-high asthma, which was found in 29% of the study participants, could benefit from advanced therapies specifically targeting the immune cells responsible for their condition. However, treatments for T17-high and low-low asthma are not yet available.

The availability of a simple and precise test could pave the way for further research into these less understood subtypes. By identifying T17-high and low-low asthma more easily, researchers can begin to explore new treatment options tailored to these types.

This tool could also answer important questions about how asthma evolves over time. For instance, researchers have long wondered why asthma symptoms worsen for some children during puberty, remain unchanged for others, and improve in some cases. There are also notable differences in asthma incidence between genders: boys are more likely to have asthma during childhood, but the condition becomes more common in women during adulthood.

With this nasal swab test, scientists can now explore whether asthma subtypes change over time or in response to treatment. The ability to track these changes could lead to a deeper understanding of asthma and how to manage it more effectively.

This breakthrough provides hope for a future where diagnosing and treating asthma is simpler, more accurate, and better tailored to each child’s specific needs.

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With the increasing pollution and toxic fog in the UK, US, and Canada, there are growing concerns in asthma, especially in children. A new, quick and easy way for kids is the new nasal swab test. This, when performed on kids can diagnose the specific immune system drivers behind their asthma. It can also open the door to better treatments, say the researchers. The test diagnoses a child's asthma subtype, also known as endotype. “Because asthma is a highly variable disease with different endotypes, which are driven by different immune cells and respond differently to treatments, the first step toward better therapies is accurate diagnosis of endotype,” senior researcher Dr. Juan Celedon, chief of pulmonary medicine at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said in a news release from the hospital.How common is asthma?Asthma is the most common chronic disease, especially of childhood, affecting 1 in every 10 kids. These statistics are presented by the National Institutes of Health. As per the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, it affects 6 million children in the United States, also verified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America states that around 8.4% male children have asthma, while 5.5% female children have it, making it the most common and costly disease in children in the United States. Types of AsthmaAsthma is a complex condition that affects millions of children, and diagnosing its specific type has traditionally been a challenging process. Doctors categorize asthma into different subtypes based on the immune cells that trigger airway inflammation. The main types are T2-high, caused by T helper 2 cells; T17-high, driven by T helper 17 cells; and low-low, where neither of these cells seems to play a role.Identifying these subtypes typically involves a highly invasive procedure where a small sample of lung tissue is taken while the child is under anesthesia. This sample undergoes genetic analysis to determine the specific asthma type. However, this procedure is rarely used, especially for children with milder asthma, due to the risks involved.Instead, doctors often rely on indirect tests, such as blood work, lung function assessments, and allergy tests, to make an educated guess about the asthma subtype. While these methods can help identify T2-high asthma, they are not entirely accurate and cannot reliably diagnose T17-high or low-low asthma.What does the new test do?This diagnostic gap led researchers to develop a new, less invasive approach. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers introduced a nasal swab test that analyzes the presence of specific genetic markers associated with the different asthma subtypes.The study involved nearly 460 children from Puerto Rican and African American backgrounds, groups that face higher asthma rates and a greater risk of severe outcomes. By analyzing nasal samples from these children, the researchers identified eight key genes linked to T2 or T17 immune cells. The nasal swab accurately determined each child’s asthma subtype, providing a much-needed alternative to invasive lung tissue sampling.This new test has significant implications for asthma treatment. For example, children with T2-high asthma, which was found in 29% of the study participants, could benefit from advanced therapies specifically targeting the immune cells responsible for their condition. However, treatments for T17-high and low-low asthma are not yet available.The availability of a simple and precise test could pave the way for further research into these less understood subtypes. By identifying T17-high and low-low asthma more easily, researchers can begin to explore new treatment options tailored to these types.This tool could also answer important questions about how asthma evolves over time. For instance, researchers have long wondered why asthma symptoms worsen for some children during puberty, remain unchanged for others, and improve in some cases. There are also notable differences in asthma incidence between genders: boys are more likely to have asthma during childhood, but the condition becomes more common in women during adulthood.With this nasal swab test, scientists can now explore whether asthma subtypes change over time or in response to treatment. The ability to track these changes could lead to a deeper understanding of asthma and how to manage it more effectively.This breakthrough provides hope for a future where diagnosing and treating asthma is simpler, more accurate, and better tailored to each child’s specific needs.