Asthma is one of the most common long-term conditions in children, especially affecting Black and Puerto Rican children at higher rates. To provide better treatments, researchers are now working on identifying different types of asthma, known as “endotypes,” which are categorized by the level of inflammation in the body.
There are two main endotypes: T2-high (high T2 inflammation) and T2-low (low T2 inflammation). Recently, a further subdivision of T2-low asthma was made into T17-high (high T17, low T2 inflammation) and low-low (low levels of both T2 and T17 inflammation). Understanding these differences is crucial for tailoring effective treatments, but traditional methods of diagnosing asthma endotypes are invasive and unsuitable for children.
A new nasal swab test developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh offers a non-invasive way to identify asthma types in children. The test is especially beneficial as it could help provide more accurate treatments and open avenues for new therapies. This breakthrough was part of a study focused on Puerto Rican and African American children, populations that have higher asthma rates and increased risk of fatality from the condition.
The study analyzed nasal swabs from 459 children, identifying the presence of T2-high, T17-high, and low-low asthma. While treatments exist for T2-high asthma, none are available for T17-high or low-low asthma. This new test could help accelerate research and development of therapies for these less understood asthma types.
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