Abstract
BACKGROUND: Efforts have been made to combine radiographic biomarkers such as bronchiectasis or bronchial wall thickness (BWT) for the purpose of identifying asthma subphenotypes and their clinical implications. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess whether a composite triple radiologic phenotype measured by high-resolution computed tomography comprising BWT, mucus plug score (MPS), and mediastinal lymph node (MLN) size might provide a better insight into subphenotypes in persistent asthma. METHODS: A total of 112 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma were included in this retrospective observational study. A binary method was used to classify patients according to median values for the following: a pooled mediastinal lymph node size of 3.6 mm or more; a BWT as a pooled wall area of at least 50% of the total airway area; and a mucus plug score of 1 or higher, with a mucus plug considered positive if complete bronchial obstruction was imaged more than 2 cm from a pleural surface. RESULTS: Patients with the triple imaging phenotype exhibited significantly worse Asthma Control Questionnaire scores, with their scores exceeding minimal clinical important difference, a higher prevalence of concomitant chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, and a greater total IgE level. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated an association between poorer symptom control and the triple radiologic asthma phenotype.