Patients & Study Design Sample Clauses

Patients & Study Design. The expression of complement components and FGF2 was investigated in the bronchial mucosa of asthmatics and controls. Bronchial biopsies were obtained at fibreoptic bronchoscopy from controls and asthmatics. Asthma was defined as a history of typical symptoms and ≥ 12% reversibility of the PEF/FEV1 and/or methacholine PC20 ≤ 8mg/ml in the year prior to the study. Asthmatics were stratified for disease severity. Biopsies were also obtained from mild atopic asthmatics before and 24 h after bronchial allergen challenge with an allergen to which they were sensitised according to a standard protocol (Kariyawasam et al. 2007). Patient characteristics are described in Table 2.1. All patients were recruited through the Department of Asthma, Allergy and Respiratory Science at Guy’s Hospital. The study was approved by the Guy’s (London Bridge) Research Ethics Committee and all subjects provided written, informed consent to participate in the studies and to have their tissues stored anonymously in our HTA licensed tissue bank. PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS Subjects Sex (F:M) Age (yr) predicted) FEV1 (% Control 4:8 22.5 (19-38) 106.5 (93-118) Asthma Moderate/Severe 3:8 59 (27-73) 65 (42-77) Mild 11:10 28 (21-44) 101.2 (81.2-133) Pre Allergen 4:7 28 (22-38) 98.2 (81.2-120.3) Challenge (n=11) Post Allergen (24h) 58.9 (41.3-97.1) Challenge