Oxidative stress biomarkers and asthma characteristics in adults of the EGEA study

Abstract

Asthma is an oxidative stress related disease, but associations with asthma outcomes are poorly studied in adults. We aimed to study the associations between several biomarkers related to oxidative stress and various asthma outcomes.Cross-sectional analyses were conducted in 1388 adults (mean age 43 years, 44% with asthma) from the Epidemiological Study of the Genetics and Environment of Asthma (EGEA2). Three blood antioxidant enzyme activities (biomarkers of response to oxidative stress) and exhaled breath condensate 8-isoprostanes and plasma fluorescent oxidation products (FlOPs) levels (two biomarkers of damage) were measured. Associations between biomarkers and 1) ever asthma and 2) asthma attacks, asthma control and lung function in participants with asthma were evaluated using regression models adjusted for age, sex and smoking.Biomarkers of response were unrelated to asthma outcomes. Higher 8-isoprostane levels were significantly associated with ever asthma (odds ratio for one interquartile range increase 1.28 (95% CI 1.06-1.67). Among participants with asthma, 8-isoprostane levels were negatively associated with adult-onset asthma (0.63, 0.41-0.97) and FlOPs levels were positively associated with asthma attacks (1.33, 1.07-1.65), poor asthma control (1.30, 1.02-1.66) and poor lung function (1.34, 1.04-1.74).Our results suggest that 8-isoprostanes are involved in childhood-onset asthma and FlOPs are linked to asthma expression.

High level of fluorescent oxidation products and worsening of asthma control over time

“…To our knowledge, this study is the first to show that high FlOPs level is associated with worsening of asthma control over time. This result extends the association we previously reported in a cross-sectional setting [10]. The lack of association observed with current asthma was consistent with the result found in the cross-sectional design [10].…”

“…Fluorescent oxidation products (FlOPs), a stable and easily measured biomarker of cumulative damages due to oxidative stress, was found to be associated with chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD) [7, 8] and chronic kidney diseases (CKD) [9]. In asthma, we recently reported that high FlOPs level was cross-sectionally associated with higher risk of asthma attacks and poor asthma control [10].…”

“…Plasma FlOPs level was measured at EGEA2 as described by Andrianjafimasy et al [10] and according to Wu et al [15]. FlOPs level was log-transformed due to its skewed distribution and expressed as geometric mean (GM) and Q1-Q3.…”

Damaging effects of household cleaning products on the lungs

“…This mechanism may be relevant for other household cleaning products [34], but toxicological research on these specific products is needed. In future epidemiological studies on asthma, it appears critical to consider the disease heterogeneity by incorporating information not only on allergic status, but on a broader range of clinical characteristics and relevant biomarkers (e.g., inflammation and oxidative stress-related markers [35]). New interesting hypotheses regarding mechanisms also include a role of the microbiome.…”

Protective effects of methane-rich saline on mice with allergic asthma by inhibiting inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis

“…Another announced pathological factor associated with the progression of allergic asthma is oxidative stress (Andrianjafimasy et al, 2017). When ROS are produced in excess of the antioxidant defense capability, oxidative stress and cellular injury occur.…”