Pediatric Arm of DZL All Age Asthma Cohort (ALLIANCE)

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

Despite its common occurrence, still little is known about pathomechanisms determining different wheeze and asthma trajectories and phenotypes in children, and those beginning in adulthood. Therefore, deciphering underlying determinants for different childhood and adult asthma phenotypes is urgently needed to develop personalized treatment approaches targeting distinct underlying mechanisms. Thereby, secondary prevention early in the disease process can also be achieved. The decoding of such mechanisms and their translation to the individual patient is the aim of the Disease Area Asthma Allergy of the 'German Centre for Lung Research' (DZL).

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Hypersensitivity; Asthma; Wheeze; Endophenotype

Detailed Description

About 25-30% of children have at least one episode of wheeze before their 3rd birthday, but considerable clinical heterogeneity exists. Many of these children become symptom-free between 3 and 8 years of age, but some go on to persistent asthma in later childhood and adulthood. Despite its high prevalence, still little is known about pathomechanisms determining the different wheeze trajectories and phenotypes in children, and those beginning in adulthood. Frequency and severity of exacerbations may play an important role in the chronification process but underlying mechanisms are equally not well understood. Therefore, deciphering the role of airway mechanics, genetic, environmental and molecular determinants for different childhood and adult asthma phenotypes for exacerbations and chronification processes is urgently needed to develop personalized treatment approaches targeting distinct underlying mechanisms. Thereby, secondary prevention early in the disease process can also be achieved.

In order to do so, a clinical cohort for childhood asthma has been set up with identical, standardized instruments (quality assurance plan: standard operating procedures (SOPs) for clinical and lab modules, shipment, biobanking and analysis as well as quality control measures via audits and site visits have been developed) across the participating 'German Center for Lung Research' (DZL) sites. Here, new-onset steroid/leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) naïve wheeze/asthma patients and wheeze/asthma patients under controller therapy are being recruited in addition to healthy controls. Following recruitment, regularly follow-ups and exacerbation visits of included patients are being performed with identical study instruments and meticulous quality control checks as at baseline.

PROJECT HYPOTHESES:

1. Specific molecular phenotypes are associated with distinct wheeze/asthma phenotypes and trajectories. Thereby, underlying mechanisms as well as predictors and biomarkers for persistent asthma will be identified.
2. Individuals at risk for exacerbations can be identified by clinical and molecular biomarkers, which will become novel targets for therapy and secondary prevention.

WORK PROGRAM:

Identification of molecular phenotypes, predictors and biomarkers for distinct wheeze/asthma phenotypes and trajectories.

The investigators aim to recruit over 1000 cases and controls to ensure sufficient statistical power for multivariate statistical analyses. Recruitment of study participants will be continued and cases will undergo 'deep phenotyping' as described below. In addition, healthy age and sex matched controls will be recruited. Cases and controls undergo a comprehensive clinical assessment including questionnaires (browser-based online data entry into extensive database with audit trail, plausibility and quality control checks implemented, data dictionary accessible), physical examination and lung function tests (spirometry and bodyplethysmography including bronchodilator response, multiple breath washout, exhaled nitric oxide). Biomaterials will be collected for analyses: i) blood samples; ii) nasal secretions; iii) pharyngeal swabs; iv) induced sputum; v) stool samples. Furthermore, epithelial cells will be collected by nasal brushings. Breath samples will be collected for analyses of volatile organic compounds. The cases will be followed up regularly using the same clinical tools and collecting the same biomaterials as at the initial visit to assess trajectories over time. Two closely interacting working groups have been established for all aims described: one lab and one data management/analysis group, each headed by expert members of the participating sites. The lab group will initiate and supervise all measurements of biomaterials; the data management/analysis group will expand the combined and shared data base and coordinate statistical analyses across sites. A common publication policy has already been developed. Using advanced bioinformatics, systems biology and machine learning approaches, the investigators will develop predictive (diagnostic) algorithms including clinical and molecular biomarkers for transient and persistent wheeze/asthma phenotypes and their trajectories. These analyses will also identify underlying mechanisms and thereby potential targets for future personalized therapy comparing childhood and adult findings. During data collection. The investigators attempt to minimize missing data. In all cases where missing data will reduce power for subsequent analyses, imputation will be used in order to omit power loss.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 1500

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Esther Zeitlmann, Diplom; Phone Number: 57787 +49894400; Email: esther.zeitlmann@med.uni-muenchen.de
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Bianca Schaub, MD; Phone Number: 57897 +49894400; Email: bianca.schaub@med.uni-muenchen.de

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Cologne, Germany, 50937
    • Recruiting
    • University Children's Hospital Cologne, Department of Paediatric Allergology and Pneumology
    • Contact: Silke van Koningsbruggen-Rietschel, MD; Phone Number: 3798 0221-478; Email: Silke.vanKoningsbruggen@uk-koeln.de
    • Contact: Silke van Koningsbruggen-Rietschel, MD; Phone Number: 3798 +49 221 478-; Email: Silke.vanKoningsbruggen@uk-koeln.de
  • Hannover, Germany, 30625
    • Recruiting
    • Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease
    • Contact: Gesine Hansen, MD; Phone Number: 9138 ++49511532; Email: Hansen.Gesine@mh-hannover.de
    • Contact: Anna-Maria Dittrich, MD; Phone Number: 9138 ++49511532; Email: Dittrich.Anna-Maria@mh-hannover.de
    • Principal Investigator: Gesine Hansen, MD
    • Principal Investigator: Anna-Maria Dittrich, MD
  • Luebeck, Germany, 23528
    • Recruiting
    • Universitaetsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Airway Research Center North
    • Principal Investigator: Folke Brinkmann, MD
    • Contact: Markus Weckmann, PhD; Phone Number: 2550 ++49451500; Email: Markus.Weckmann@uksh.dea
    • Principal Investigator: Markus Weckmann, PhD
    • Contact: Folke Brinkmann, MD; Phone Number: 2550 ++49451500; Email: folke.brinkmann@uksh.de
  • Marburg, Germany, 35033
    • Recruiting
    • Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Universitaetsklinikum Giessen und Marburg GmbH, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center
    • Contact: Stefanie Weber, PD; Phone Number: 651 +4964215866
    • Sub-Investigator: Stefanie Weber, PD
  • Munich, Germany, 80337
    • Recruiting
    • Klinikum der Universitaet Muenchen, Comprehensive Pulmonary Center Munich
    • Contact: Markus Ege, MD; Phone Number: 57709 +49894400; Email: markus.ege@med.uni-muenchen.de
    • Principal Investigator: Markus Ege, MD
    • Principal Investigator: Bianca Schaub, MD
    • Contact: Bianca Schaub, MD; Phone Number: 57897 +49894400; Email: bianca.schaub@med.uni-muenchen.de

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 6 months to 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

preschool children with wheeze and school children as well as adolescents with asthma

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• informed consent by parents (and by children if age > 8 years)
• age 6 months to 18 years
• term delivery (≥ 37 weeks)
• active/passive understanding of German
• age 6 months - < 6 years: preschool wheeze (more than two episodes of wheeze during 12 months prior to inclusion)
• age at least 6 years: doctor diagnosed asthma (according to current guidelines)

Exclusion Criteria:

• known inborn or perinatal pulmonary disease
• airway malformation
• oxygen therapy after birth with a duration of more than 24 hours
• ventilator support or mechanical ventilation after birth
• diagnoses of cystic fibrosis; primary ciliary dyskinesia
• heart failure diagnosed after birth affecting pulmonary circulation
• major respiratory diseases such as e.g. interstitial lung disease
• any current non-atopic comorbidity
• fever of at least 38.5°C during the last two weeks prior to the planned first visit

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
new-onset wheeze/asthma; children with inhaled or systemic corticosteroid-/leukotriene receptor antagonist-naïve wheeze/asthma, will undergo follow-up after initial recruitment
wheeze/asthma under controller therapy; children with wheeze/asthma, already under controller (inhaled or systemic corticosteroids or leukotriene receptor antagonist) therapy, will undergo follow-up after initial recruitment
healthy controls; healthy age- and sex-matched controls, will not undergo follow-up after initial recruitment

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Prevalence of asthma	Study participants will be assessed with regard to their development of asthma.	At baseline and during yearly follow-ups up to 2 years
Prevalence of transient preschool wheeze	Study participants will be assessed with regard to their development of transient preschool wheeze.	At baseline and during yearly follow-ups up to 2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Prevalence of atopic sensitization	The prevalence of atopic sensitization will be measured by the detection of specific immunoglobin E against common aeroallergens.	At baseline and during yearly follow-ups up to 2 years
Lung function	Study participants will be assessed with regard to lung function parameters (as measured by spirometry/bodyplethysmography and multiple-breath washouts (MBW)).	At baseline and during yearly follow-ups up to 2 years
Levels of exhaled nitric oxide	Levels of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) will be measured by chemoluminescence analyzers in combination with ultrasound-based flow measurement.	At baseline and during yearly follow-ups up to 2 years
Frequency of acute exacerbations during previous 12 months	The frequency of acute exacerbations during previous 12 months will be assessed by questionnaires.	At baseline and during yearly follow-ups up to 2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: LMU Klinikum
• Collaborators: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research; Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center; German Center for Lung Research; Comprehensive Pulmonary Center Munich; Airway Research Center North; Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover; Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gesine Hansen, MD, Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover; Principal Investigator: Bianca Schaub, MD, Klinikum der Universitaet Muenchen, Comprehensive Pulmonary Center Munich; Principal Investigator: Folke Brinkmann, MD, Airway Research Center North

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• 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.
• Skevaki C, Tafo P, Eiringhaus K, Timmesfeld N, Weckmann M, Happle C, Nelson PP, Maison N, Schaub B, Ricklefs I, Fuchs O, von Mutius E, Kopp MV, Renz H, Hansen G, Dittrich AM; ALLIANCE Study Group. Allergen extract- and component-based diagnostics in children of the ALLIANCE asthma cohort. Clin Exp Allergy. 2021 Oct;51(10):1331-1345. doi: 10.1111/cea.13964. Epub 2021 Jun 26.
• 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. doi: 10.1186/s12890-018-0717-2.

Helpful Links

• Click here for more information about the German Center for Lung Research (DZL)
• Click here for more information about the Disease Area Asthma and Allergy (DA AA) as part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 3, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 9, 2015
• First Posted (Estimated): July 14, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 28, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 27, 2024
• Last Verified: August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: transition; phenotype; childhood asthma; trajectory; endotype; preschool wheeze; adult asthma
• 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_DA_AA-1