Children with severe asthma have unique oxidative stress-associated metabolomic profiles

摘要

To the Editor: Children with severe asthma are a challenging group of patients who are extremely difficult to treat. Although inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the cornerstone of asthma treatment, children with severe asthma have decreased responsiveness to high-dose corticosteroid therapy associated with airway inflammation and remodeling. Given the limited efficacy of corticosteroids in severe asthma, our efforts have focused on the role of oxidative stress, namely, thiol redox disturbances, in the modulation of the disorder. Indeed, we have previously demonstrated greater oxidation and decreased concentrations of the thiols cysteine and glutathione in the airways and systemic circulation of children with severe asthma that were further associated with increased airway inflammation and impaired cellular function.