Distinct Epithelial-Innate Immune Cell Transcriptional Circuits Underlie Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Asthma

Indirect airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is a highly specific feature of asthma but the underlying mechanisms responsible for driving indirect AHR remain incompletely understood. We aimed to identify differences in gene expression in epithelial brushings obtained from individuals with asthma who were characterized for indirect AHR in the form of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was performed on epithelial brushings obtained from individuals with asthma with (n=11) and without EIB (n = 9).