Clock Proteins as a Prognostic Marker for Disease Progression
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that follows a strong circadian rhythm: Signs of inflammation and symptoms worsen especially in the early morning hours. The molecular circadian clock, which is a complex machinery of transcriptional and translational feedback loops, seems to reflect the inflammatory environment of peripheral blood leukocytes. Therefore, in this observational study we will monitor the molecular circadian clock in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma before and during mepolizumab treatment. Our major goal is to evaluate the potential of the molecular circadian clock to serve as a prognostic marker for disease progression, treatment response or remission in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. The molecular circadian clock will be monitored in blood and sputum leukocytes from patients with severe eosinophilic asthma before mepolizumab treatment, after 4 month of mepolizumab therapy, and once they reach remission under mepolizumab treatment. Effects will be compared to healthy controls and patients with mild-moderate asthma without mepolizumab treatment.
- EligibilityCriteria: Inclusion Criteria:  Written consent of the participant after being informed Age 18-65 Both sexes (male:female ratio of 2:3) Mild-to-moderate asthma, severe eosinophilic asthma according to GINA guidelines and healthy controls  Exclusion Criteria:  Respiratory tract infections during the last 2 months severe comorbidities oral corticosteroids during the last month Shift workers Subjects with sleep disorders and/or receiving sleep medication Pregnant or breast-feeding women Control subjects with atopy and/or allergies - HealthyVolunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers - Gender: All - MinimumAge: 18 Years - MaximumAge: 65 Years - StdAgeList: Adult, Older Adult - StudyPopulation: Patients with mild-to-moderate or severe eosinophilic asthma and healthy controls will be recruited for this study. Three individual groups within an age-range of 18 to 65 years and a male:female ratio of 2:3 will be studied:  20 age and gender matched healthy controls (1 visit) 20 patients with mild-to-moderate asthma (1 visit)  20-60 patients with SEA  before mepolizumab treatment (visit 1) under mepolizumab treatment for 4 months (visit 2) after reaching remission under mepolizumab treatment (visit 3) - SamplingMethod: Non-Probability Sample