Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade, fresh frozen bio-specimens, matched cryogenically preserved sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid samples from patients diagnosed with asthma.
The sera (serum), plasma and PBMC biofluid specimens are processed from asthma patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols. The asthma fresh frozen samples and biofluids are collected from unique patients diagnosed with asthma and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, diagnostics, discovery and drug development.
Detailed clinical data, asthma patients history, symptoms, complete blood count (CBC), serology, sputum eosinophils, PFT test values, elevated biomarker levels, genetic and metabolic information, CT scan findings, methacholine test annotations associated with asthma specimens is provided to a valued customer for research, development and drug discovery.
The asthma samples and matched sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid are processed from patients peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.
Asthma Overview
Asthma is a long term inflammatory disease of the airways and the lungs. Asthma is a condition in which the airways get inflamed causing narrowing and swelling and may produce extra mucus, which makes breathing difficult and can make some physical activities challenging or even impossible. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, a whistling sound (wheezing) when you breathe out and shortness of breath. Asthma is also known as chronic respiratory disease or bronchial asthma.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over 25 million Americans have asthma. It’s the most common chronic condition among children in the Unites States.
Normally, with every breath you take, air goes through your nose or mouth and down into your throat and into your airways, eventually making it to your lungs. There are lots of small air passages in your lungs that help deliver oxygen from the air into your bloodstream. Asthma symptoms occur when the lining of your airways swell and the muscles around them tighten. Mucus then fills the airways, further reducing the amount of air that can pass through. These conditions can then bring on an asthma attack, the coughing and tightness in your chest that’s typical of asthma.
Asthma is marked by inflammation of the bronchial tubes, with extra sticky secretions inside the tubes. Patients with asthma have symptoms when the airways tighten, inflame, or fill with mucus. When you breathe as usual, the bands of muscle around your airways are relaxed, and air moves freely. But when you have asthma, the muscles tighten. It’s harder for air to pass through.
Asthma Attack
An asthma attack is the episode in which bands of muscle around the airways are triggered to tighten. This tightening is called bronchospasm. During the attack, the lining of the airways becomes swollen or inflamed, and the cells lining the airways make more and thicker mucus than normal. All of these things, bronchospasm, inflammation, and mucus production cause symptoms such as trouble breathing, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and trouble with normal daily activities.
An asthma attack can get worse quickly, so it’s important to treat these symptoms right away. Without immediate treatment, such as with asthma inhaler or bronchodilator, it will become harder to breathe. If you use a peak flow meter at this time, the reading will probably be less than 50%. Many asthma action plans suggest interventions starting at 80% of normal. As the lungs continue to tighten, you won’t be able to use the peak flow meter at all. Your lungs will tighten so there is not enough air movement to make wheezing. You need to go to a hospital right away. Unfortunately, some people think that the disappearance of wheezing is a sign of improvement and don’t get emergency care. Without proper treatment, over time, you may be unable to speak and will get a bluish coloring around your lips. This color change, known as cyanosis, means you have less and less oxygen in your blood. It can cause a loss of consciousness and death.
Other symptoms of an asthma attack include:
- Severe wheezing when breathing both in and out
- Coughing that won’t stop
- Very rapid breathing
- Chest pain or pressure
- Tightened neck and chest muscles, called retractions
- Difficulty talking
- Feelings of anxiety or panic
- Pale, sweaty face
- Blue lips or fingernails
Types of Asthma
There are several different types of asthma. The most common type of asthma is bronchial asthma, which affects the bronchi in the lungs. Additional forms of asthma include childhood asthma and adult-onset asthma. In adult-onset asthma, symptoms don’t appear until at least age twenty.
Following are the other specific types of asthma:
Allergic Asthma (Extrinsic Asthma)
Allergens triggered asthma is the common type of asthma. These might include:
- Pet dander from animals like dogs and cats
- Food
- Mold
- Pollen
- Dust
Allergic asthma is often seasonal because it often goes hand-in-hand with seasonal allergies.
Nonallergic Asthma (Intrinsic Asthma)
Irritants in the air not related to allergies trigger this type of asthma. These irritants might include:
- Burning wood
- Cigarette smoke
- Cold air
- Air pollution
- Viral illnesses
- Air fresheners
- Household cleaning products
- Perfumes
Occupational Asthma
Occupational asthma is a type of asthma induced by triggers in the workplace. These include:
- Dust
- Dyes
- Gases and fumes
- Industrial chemicals
- Animal proteins
- Rubber latex
These irritants can exist in a wide range of industries, including:
- Farming
- Textiles
- Woodworking
- Manufacturing
Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction (EIB)
Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) usually affects people within a few minutes of starting exercise and up to 10–15 minutes after any physical activity. This condition was previously known as exercise-induced asthma (EIA). As many as ninety percent of patients with asthma also experience EIB, but not everyone with EIB will have other types of asthma.
Aspirin-Induced Asthma
Aspirin-induced asthma (AIA), also called aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), is usually severe. It’s triggered by taking aspirin or another NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug), such as naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Advil). The symptoms may begin within minutes or hours. These patients also typically have nasal polyps. Approximately 9% of all asthma patients have AIA. It usually develops suddenly in adults between the ages of 20 and 50.
Nocturnal Asthma
In nocturnal asthma the symptoms usually worsen at night time.
Triggers that are thought to bring on symptoms at night include:
- Heartburn
- Pet dander
- Dust mites
The body’s natural sleep cycle may also trigger nocturnal asthma.
Cough-Variant Asthma (CVA)
Cough-variant asthma (CVA) doesn’t have classic asthma symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath. It’s characterized by a persistent, dry cough. If it’s not treated, CVA can lead to full-blown asthma flares that include the other more common symptoms.
Asthma Triggers
Exposure to various irritants and substances that trigger allergies (allergens) can trigger signs and symptoms of asthma. Asthma triggers are different from person to person and can include:
- Airborne allergens, such as pollen, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander or particles of cockroach waste
- Respiratory infections, such as the common cold
- Physical activity
- Cold air
- Air pollutants and irritants, such as smoke
- Certain medications, including beta blockers, aspirin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve)
- Strong emotions and stress
- Sulfites and preservatives added to some types of foods and beverages, including shrimp, dried fruit, processed potatoes, beer and wine
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acids back up into your throat
Signs and Symptoms of Asthma
Following are the common signs and symptoms of asthma, in addition to wheezing, a squealing or whistling sound made when you breathe which is the most common symptom:
- Coughing, especially at night, when laughing, or during exercise
- Fatigue
- Tightness in the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty talking
- Anxiety or panic
The type of asthma that you have can determine which symptoms you experience. Not everyone with asthma will experience these particular symptoms.
Causes of Asthma
Exact causes of asthma are unknown, there is no single cause of developing asthma. Scientists believe that the breathing condition is caused by a variety of factors. Following are some of the factors:
- Genetics: If a parent or sibling has asthma, you’re more likely to develop it.
- History of viral infections: People with a history of severe viral infections during childhood (e.g. RSV) may be more likely to develop the condition.
- Hygiene hypothesis: This theory explains that when babies aren’t exposed to enough bacteria in their early months and years, their immune systems don’t become strong enough to fight off asthma and other allergic conditions.
Diagnosis of Asthma
If you think you have asthma, see your doctor. Usually asthma patients are referred to a lung specialist also known as a pulmonologist. The pulmonologist will start with a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and medical history.
Following are some of the initial tests used to check how well your lungs are working and to diagnose asthma:
- Spirometry: This simple breathing test measures how much air you blow out and how fast.
- Peak flow: This test measure how well your lungs push out air. They’re less exact than spirometry, but it can be a good way to test your lungs at home, even before you feel any symptoms. A peak flow meter can help you figure out what makes your asthma worse, whether your treatment is working, and when you need emergency care.
- Methacholine challenge: Adults are more likely to have this test than children. You might get it if your symptoms and spirometry test don’t clearly show asthma. During this test, you inhale a chemical called methacholine before and after spirometry to see if it makes your airways narrow. If your results fall at least 20%, you have asthma. You doctor will give you medicine at the end of the test to reverse the effects of the methacholine.
- Exhaled nitric oxide test: You breathe into a tube connected to a machine that measures the amount of nitric oxide in your breath. Your body makes this gas normally, but levels could be high if your airways are inflamed.
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