Biomarkers of Irritant-Induced and Allergic Asthma

Inclusion Criteria for Phase I

For the WTC population with Irritant-Induced Asthma (IA):

• > 18 years of age*
• Current nonsmoker*
• < 5 pack year (p-y) history of tobacco use*
• Spirometry in the past 6 months or on day of evaluation with a bronchodilator response of 12% and 200 ml improvement in FEV
• Positive methacholine challenge test (decrease in FEV1*

20% (PC20) after inhalation of < 16 mg/ml of methacholine)

• Inhaled corticosteroid use in previous 1 month or more will be allowed*
• Patients will be recruited from the WTC EHC and will have WTC dust cloud exposure
• New symptoms after 9/11
• Symptoms of wheeze and shortness of breath (> 2x / week) in the 4 weeks before inclusion (persistent symptoms).

Inclusion for Allergic Asthma Population (AA):

• All of the above items with an asterisk (*)
• Patients will be recruited from the NYUBAR or advertisement and will have asthma as defined by NIH guidelines, persistent symptoms, absence of WTC dust exposure.
• Participants who will have completed the Phase I of the study and were able to produce adequate sputum samples.

Inclusion of Control Population:

• Patients will be recruited from the NYUBAR and will have no respiratory symptoms, no asthma diagnosis, no WTC dust exposure, no current tobacco use, 5 p-y history of tobacco use, and normal spirometry with no bronchodilator response and negative methacholine challenge in past 6 months.

Inclusion Criteria for Phase II:

• Successfully completed Phase I
• Has asthma according to Phase I diagnostic criteria
• Signed consent to be re-contacted

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current Smoker
• Pulmonary diseases such as Chronic Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Interstitial Lung Disease
• Cardiac Disease
• Inability to perform lung function or other maneuvers
• Upper respiratory tract infection within the last 4 weeks
• FEV1 <60% predicted normal pre-bronchodilator
• Oral corticosteroid treatment within the last 4 weeks.
• No vulnerable subjects will be part of this study.