The study team will recruit 60 teens and young adults with persistent asthma who are at high risk for future exacerbation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Children's Allergy and Asthma Center in Raleigh, NC. Participants will complete 13 study visits: an initial in-person visit (the study team will make every attempt to coordinate this visit with a scheduled clinic visit) and 12 monthly virtual follow up visits. Participants will be asked to use an at home spirometer once daily in the evening and will also complete an electronic asthma survey each night. Participants will also be provided with a sensor that tracks their rescue medication use throughout the study. Participants will undergo collection of nasal epithelial lining fluid (NELF) at the baseline visit. During the 12 months of study, participants will self-collect NELF samples if certain prespecified criteria for asthma exacerbation are met. Samples will be analyzed for IL-1β, interleukin receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) and other mediators associated with acute asthma exacerbation. Virtual follow up visits using a video platform will occur monthly for 12 months. Participants will self-report healthcare utilization and prescription for systemic corticosteroids. Spirometry and symptom survey data will be matched to subject-reported asthma exacerbations. The study design is adapted to minimize in-person visits, using web-based platforms for virtual visits and self-collection of samples to prioritize safety during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic.
To study the change from baseline in IL-1β (interleukin 1 beta) concentrations in the nasal airway during acute asthma exacerbation, specifically to measure the degree of change and identify the timing of peak IL-1β concentration. This information will allow the investigators to estimate effect size and guide decisions about the optimal timing of anakinra administration for the future study.