ArticleRespiratory research2021
Raised sputum extracellular DNA confers lung function impairment and poor symptom control in an exacerbation-susceptible phenotype of neutrophilic asthma.
Article in Respiratory research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Targeting neutrophil extracellular traps: an emerging strategy for improving the management of refractory asthma.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- From FEVJournal of asthma and allergy · 2026Review
- Neutrophil Heterogeneity in Airway Inflammatory Diseases.Inflammation · 2025Review
- Determinants of airway morphology in asthma: Inflammatory and noninflammatory factors.The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. Global · 2025Article
- Neutrophil extracellular traps are increased in the airways of obese asthmatic patients.ERJ open research · 2025Article
- Article
- Neutrophilic asthma may not be a distinct endotype.ERJ open research · 2025Article
- Physiology and pathophysiology of mucus and mucolytic use in critically ill patients.Critical care (London, England) · 2025Review
- Anti-IL-5 treatment, but not neutrophil interference, attenuates inflammation in a mixed granulocytic asthma mouse model, elicited by air pollution.Respiratory research · 2025Article
- Targeted DNase treatment of obstructive lung disease: a pilot randomised controlled trial.ERJ open research · 2025Article
- Review
- Intranasal PAMAM-G3 scavenges cell-free DNA attenuating the allergic airway inflammation.Cell death discovery · 2024Article
- Bronchial epithelial transcriptomics and experimental validation reveal asthma severity-related neutrophilc signatures and potential treatments.Communications biology · 2024Article
- Neutrophil extracellular traps and their implications in airway inflammatory diseases.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Review
- Role and Therapeutic Targeting Strategies of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Inflammation.International journal of nanomedicine · 2023Review
- Extracellular Traps: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Severe Asthma.Journal of asthma and allergy · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
15 authors at 7 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundExtracellular DNA (e-DNA) and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are linked to asthmatics airway inflammation. However, data demonstrating the characterization of airway inflammation associated with excessive e-DNA production and its impact on asthma outcomes are limited.
objectiveTo characterize the airway inflammation associated with excessive e-DNA production and its association with asthma control, severe exacerbations and pulmonary function, particularly, air trapping and small airway dysfunction.
methodsWe measured e-DNA concentrations in induced sputum from 134 asthma patients and 28 healthy controls. We studied the correlation of e-DNA concentrations with sputum neutrophils, eosinophils and macrophages and the fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). Lung function was evaluated using spirometry, body plethysmography, impulse oscillometry and inert gas multiple breath washout. We stratified patients with asthma into low-DNA and high-DNA to compare lung function impairments and asthma outcomes.
resultsPatients with severe asthma had higher e-DNA concentration (54.2 ± 42.4 ng/µl) than patients with mild-moderate asthma (41.0 ± 44.1 ng/µl) or healthy controls (26.1 ± 16.5 ng/µl), (all p values < 0.05). E-DNA concentrations correlated directly with sputum neutrophils (R = 0.49, p < 0.0001) and negatively with sputum macrophages (R = - 0.36, p < 0.0001), but neither with sputum eosinophils (R = 0.10, p = 0.26), nor with FeNO (R = - 0.10, p = 0.22). We found that 29% of asthma patients (n = 39) had high e-DNA concentrations above the upper 95th percentile value in healthy controls (55.6 ng /μl). High-DNA was associated with broad lung function impairments including: airflow obstruction of the large (FEV
conclusionIncreased production of extracellular DNA in the airway characterizes a subset of neutrophilic asthma patients who have broad lung function impairments, poor symptom control and increased risk of severe exacerbations.
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