Adult Arm of DZL All Age Asthma Cohort (ALLIANCE) (ALLIANCE)

The All Age Asthma Cohort (ALLIANCE) of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Adult Arm

Deep Phenotyping of adult asthma patients:

• severity from mild to severe
• both atopic and non-atopic
• both childhood and adult onset
• both smokers and non-smokers
• corresponding pediatric cohort (Pediatric Arm of DZL All Age Asthma Cohort) with equivalent SOPs regarding collection of biomaterial and clinical data incl. lung function, further processing of biomaterial and further analyses

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Asthma

Detailed Description

The clinical heterogeneity of asthma patients has been increasingly recognised within the last years. Recent studies and articles highlighted the idea of asthma not beeing a single disease but rather a unifying term for multiple phenotypes. Phenotype in this sense is defined as the combination of observable properties of an organism, that are produced by the interactions of a genotype and the environment. In contrast, endotype describes a specific underlying pathophysiological pathway. Linking asthma phenotypes and endotypes in a system biological approach is an important research goal in order to develop targeted therapy, especially for severe asthma.

The advantage the investigators' cohort provides is the collaboration with an equivalent pediatric cohort. In this setting questions regarding disease onset, exacerbation and chronicity can be posed and worked with in a comprehensive manner.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 400

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Joern Bullwinkel, PhD; Phone Number: +49 4102 601 2410; Email: j.bullwinkel@lungenclinic.de
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Thomas J Bahmer, MD; Phone Number: +49 4102 601 2412; Email: thomas.bahmer@uksh.de

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Grosshansdorf, Germany, 22927
    • Recruiting
    • LungenClinic Grosshansdorf
    • Contact: Joern Bullwinkel, PhD; Phone Number: +49-4102-601-2410; Email: j.bullwinkel@lungenclinic.de
    • Contact: Thomas J Bahmer, MD; Phone Number: +49-4102-601-2412; Email: thomas.bahmer@uksh.de

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 99 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Asthma of all severity grades, both allergic and non-allergic. Age of Onset childhood and adulthood. Smokers and non-smokers.

Proven Asthma according to current GINA Guidelines (2014)

Healthy Control Group.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Proven Diagnosis according to current GINA Guideline (2014)
• Ability to read and understand German
• Ability to understand and agree to informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of respiratory tract infection within the last 4 weeks before inclusion

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Defining clinical asthma phenotypes by combining clinical, lung function and biomaterial data	2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: LungenClinic Grosshansdorf
• Collaborators: Research Center Borstel; German Center for Lung Research
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Klaus F Rabe, MD PhD, LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Grosshansdorf, Germany; Principal Investigator: Susanne Krauss-Etschmann, PhD, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Wenzel SE. Asthma phenotypes: the evolution from clinical to molecular approaches. Nat Med. 2012 May 4;18(5):716-25. doi: 10.1038/nm.2678.
• Anderson GP. Endotyping asthma: new insights into key pathogenic mechanisms in a complex, heterogeneous disease. Lancet. 2008 Sep 20;372(9643):1107-19. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61452-X.
• Ronnow SR, Sand JMB, Staunstrup LM, Bahmer T, Wegmann M, Lunding L, Burgess J, Rabe K, Sorensen GL, Fuchs O, Mutius EV, Hansen G, Kopp MV, Karsdal M, Leeming DJ, Weckmann M; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL). A serological biomarker of type I collagen degradation is related to a more severe, high neutrophilic, obese asthma subtype. Asthma Res Pract. 2022 Apr 13;8(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s40733-022-00084-6.
• Weckmann M, Bahmer T, Sand JM, Rank Ronnow S, Pech M, Vermeulen C, Faiz A, Leeming DJ, Karsdal MA, Lunding L, Oliver BGG, Wegmann M, Ulrich-Merzenich G, Juergens UR, Duhn J, Laumonnier Y, Danov O, Sewald K, Zissler U, Jonker M, Konig I, Hansen G, von Mutius E, Fuchs O, Dittrich AM, Schaub B, Happle C, Rabe KF, van de Berge M, Burgess JK, Kopp MV; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Centre for Lung Research (DZL). COL4A3 is degraded in allergic asthma and degradation predicts response to anti-IgE therapy. Eur Respir J. 2021 Dec 9;58(6):2003969. doi: 10.1183/13993003.03969-2020. Print 2021 Dec.
• Holz O, Waschki B, Watz H, Kirsten A, Abdo M, Pedersen F, Weckmann M, Fuchs O, Dittrich AM, Hansen G, Kopp MV, von Mutius E, Rabe KF, Hohlfeld JM, Bahmer T; ALLIANCE Study Group. Breath volatile organic compounds and inflammatory markers in adult asthma patients: negative results from the ALLIANCE cohort. Eur Respir J. 2021 Feb 11;57(2):2002127. doi: 10.1183/13993003.02127-2020. Print 2021 Feb.
• Fuchs O, Bahmer T, Weckmann M, Dittrich AM, Schaub B, Rosler B, Happle C, Brinkmann F, Ricklefs I, Konig IR, Watz H, Rabe KF, Kopp MV, Hansen G, von Mutius E; ALLIANCE Study Group as part of the German Centre for Lung Research (DZL). The all age asthma cohort (ALLIANCE) - from early beginnings to chronic disease: a longitudinal cohort study. BMC Pulm Med. 2018 Aug 20;18(1):140. doi: 10.1186/s12890-018-0705-6. Erratum In: BMC Pulm Med. 2018 Nov 7;18(1):165.
• Bahmer T, Waschki B, Schatz F, Herzmann C, Zabel P, Kirsten AM, Rabe KF, Watz H; ERA-Study Group. Physical activity, airway resistance and small airway dysfunction in severe asthma. Eur Respir J. 2017 Jan 4;49(1):1601827. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01827-2016. Print 2017 Jan. No abstract available.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 14, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2015
• First Posted (Estimated): April 17, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 12, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 11, 2023
• Last Verified: October 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: asthma; childhood; phenotype; adulthood
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Lung Diseases; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Bronchial Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Respiratory Hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity; Asthma
• Other Study ID Numbers: DZL-GHD-ERA