Understanding the molecular mechanisms of Eosinophilic Airway Inflammation between Asthma and non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis through sputum transcriptomics

Asthma is defined by the history of variable respiratory symptoms like wheeze, shortness of breath, chest tightness and cough that vary over time and intensity, together with airway hyperresponsiveness and usually with airway remodeling. Eosinophilic airway inflammation is thought to be an important pathophysiological characteristic of asthma. Eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) is characterized by eosinophilic airway inflammation and chronic cough as sole symptom. However, in contrast to asthma, EB presents no airway hyperresponsiveness. Asthma and EB share similar eosinophilic airway inflammation, however, the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations and clinical outcomes of them show a progression from severe to mild. The pathogenesis remains unclear. Exploring the mechanisms of airway inflammation between asthma and EB is expected to reveal the differences in their clinical manifestations, to discover new therapeutic targets, and to promote individualized treatment of eosinophilic airway inflammation. The aim of this study was to unveil the mechanisms of eosinophilic airway inflammation between asthma and EB via conducting and analyzing the bulk RNA sequencing (bulk RNA-seq) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of sputum cell.