Electrophilic Fatty Acid Derivatives in Asthma

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2017-06-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Asthma is an inflammatory disease, which means it causes swelling in the lungs to cause shortness of breath and/or wheezing. There are several asthma medications that help to reduce this problem.

The objective of this research study is to characterize the presence of electrophilic fatty acids in the bronchial airway of subjects with controlled asthma at baseline and after treatment with Aspirin, Indomethacin, or no treatment at all. The presence of electrophilic fatty acids may indicate inflammation. Aspirin and Indomethacin are known to respectively increase and inhibit the formation of electrophilic fatty acids. By gaining a better understanding of how electrophilic fatty acids work and how they respond to different treatment, researchers hope to be able to find better ways to lessen airway inflammation in asthma in the future.

• Phase: Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Sally E. Wenzel MD; University of Pittsburgh
• Treatments: Aspirin; Indomethacin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of mild to moderate asthma

• No evidence of a previous asthma exacerbation in the preceding 6 weeks (defined as increased severity of respiratory symptoms requiring systemic steroids or escalation of therapy; b) asthma control questionnaire (ACQ) score less than 1.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of severe asthma, vocal cord dysfunction, cystic fibrosis, COPD, CAD, hypertension, diabetes or renal failure that is not well controlled

• Greater than 10 pack-year history of smoking;

• Stopped smoking less than 1 year prior to study,

• Taking any aspirin or other NSAIDS on the week prior to bronchoscopy,

• Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements

• If a subject is currently taking an omega-3 fatty acid supplement and is interested in the study, after a 30 day wash out, the participant can be re-screened and evaluated for participation.

• Taking pioglitazone or rosiglitazone (synthetic thiazolidinedione PPARg ligands);

• other known pulmonary diseases;

• Inability to undergo bronchoscopy,

• Contraindications or allergy to aspirin or indomethacin,

• Asthmatics with known hypersensitivity to aspirin, and

• Steroid (systemic) dependent