Human Rhinovirus Infection and Airway Remodeling Mediators

Inclusion Criteria

• •Asthmatics:
• •Male or female volunteers with intermittent or persistent mild to moderate allergic asthma, as defined by GINA guidelines 39.
• •Between ≥18 and ≤ 50 years of age.
• •Objective evidence of variable airflow limitation (≥12% and at least 200mL post-bronchodilator reversibility from baseline), or airway hyperresponsiveness (PC20 methacholine \<16mg/ml) at the screening visit or within past 24 months.
• •Pre-bronchodilator spirometry at baseline; FEV1 ≥70% of predicted; FEV1/VC ≥50%.
• •Atopic, as evidenced by positive skin prick tests to ≥1 common aero-allergen, where positive is defined by a wheal of ≥2 mm compared to the negative control.
• •Not be exposed to sensitizing seasonal allergens for at least 4 weeks before the study. Chronic exposure to perennial allergens will be permitted.
• •Asthma symptoms controlled by either inhaled β22-agonists alone, or by low or moderate dose ICS (≤800mcg of budesonide or equivalent per day), administered either as monotherapy or in a fixed-dose combination with a long-acting β22-agonist (LABA). The doses of these maintenance medications should have remained stable for the 4 weeks prior to the study screening phase (Visit 2).
• •Stable asthma symptoms, with no history of asthma exacerbation requiring short burst prednisone treatment within the 3 months prior to study entry.
• •Be a non-smoker, as defined as no smoking in past 12 months, and have a lifetime ≤ 10 pack-year smoking history.
• •In good general health (other than asthma) without clinically significant medical history of other co-morbidities, and a BMI of ≤ 30 kg/m2.
• •Have no history of any life threatening episode of asthma, as judged by the study physician; this may include, but not be limited to, prior ICU admission or intubation.
• •Subjects, or their partners, must be using a reliable form of contraception continuously from 4 weeks prior, to 4 weeks post participation.
• •Non-Asthmatics:
• •Male or female volunteers, ≥18 and ≤ 50 years of age, in good general health, without a clinically significant medical history and a BMI of ≤ 30 kg/m2.
• •Non-asthmatic, as defined by history and normal spirometry (FEV1 ≥80% and FEV1/FVC ≥75% of predicted value).
• •Normal airway responsiveness (PC20 methacholine ≥16 mg/ml).
• •Non-atopic, as determined by skin prick tests to common aero-allergens, where positive test defined as a wheal of ≥ 2 mm compared to the negative control.
• •Be a non-smoker for ≥1 year, and have a lifetime ≤ 10 pack-year smoking history of smoking.
• •Subjects, or their partners, must be using a reliable form of contraception continuously from 4 weeks prior, to 4 weeks post participation.
• •All potentially eligible study subjects must be willing to participate in study, and be able to provide written consent prior to starting the study. The study protocol and consent form will be approved by the Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board.