Method for the diagnosis of airway disease inflammatory subtype
In vitro methods for diagnosing, prognosing and/or monitoring and treating neutrophilic or eosinophilic airway inflammation in a subject, including determining the amount of one or more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath from said subject. The invention also provides devices for use in said methods.
1. A method of treatment of neutrophilic airway inflammation in a subject, wherein the airway inflammation is asthma, comprising the steps of:
a) determining whether the subject is in need of receiving neutrophilic asthma treatment by performing an in vitro procedure of diagnosing, prognosing and/or monitoring neutrophilic asthma in the subject, comprising the sub-steps of:
a1) determining an amount of one or more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a sample of exhaled breath from the subject;
a2) comparing the amount of the one or more VOCs with a reference value, the reference value representing a known diagnosis, prognosis and/or monitoring status of neutrophilic asthma;
a3) finding a deviation or no deviation of the amount of said one or more VOCs from the reference value; and
a4) attributing said finding of deviation or no deviation to a particular diagnosis, prognosis and/or monitoring status of neutrophilic asthma in the subject;
b) treating the subject diagnosed, prognosed and/or monitored in step a) as being in need of neutrophilic asthma treatment with a treatment selected from the group consisting of macrolides, anti-leukotriene agents, bronchodilators, and combinations thereof;
wherein the one or more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is/are selected from the group consisting of:
3-tetradecene, and
1-pentadecene; and the method discriminates neutrophilic asthma from paucigranulocytic asthma in the subject; and
wherein:
the reference value is the amount of the same one or more VOCs in a sample of exhaled breath from the subject suffering from paucigranulocytic asthma; and wherein
an elevated amount of said one or more VOCs from said reference value is diagnostic or prognostic of neutrophilic asthma and/or of absence of paucigranulocytic asthma in the subject.
2. A method of treatment of neutrophilic airway inflammation in a subject, wherein the airway inflammation is asthma, comprising the steps of:
a) determining whether the subject is in need of receiving neutrophilic asthma treatment by performing an in vitro procedure of diagnosing, prognosing and/or monitoring neutrophilic asthma in the subject, comprising the sub-steps of:
a1) determining an amount of one or more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a sample of exhaled breath from the subject;
a2) comparing the amount of the one or more VOCs with a reference value, the reference value representing a known diagnosis, prognosis and/or monitoring status of neutrophilic asthma;
a3) finding a deviation or no deviation of the amount of said one or more VOCs from the reference value; and
a4) attributing said finding of deviation or no deviation to a particular diagnosis, prognosis and/or monitoring status of neutrophilic asthma in the subject;
b) treating the subject diagnosed, prognosed and/or monitored in step a) as being in need of neutrophilic asthma treatment with a treatment selected from the group consisting of macrolides, anti-leukotriene agents, bronchodilators, and combinations thereof;
wherein the one or more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is/are selected from the group consisting of:
3-tetradecene, and
1-pentadecene; and the method discriminates neutrophilic asthma from paucigranulocytic asthma in the subject; and
wherein:
the reference value is the amount of the same one or more VOCs in a sample of exhaled breath from the subject suffering from neutrophilic asthma; and wherein
no deviation of the amount of said one or more VOCs from said reference value is diagnostic or prognostic of neutrophilic asthma and/or of absence of paucigranulocytic asthma in the subject.