
A new, simple blood test could soon be in the works to diagnose asthma and assess its severity. The test would look for elevated levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), as outlined in the study, “Serum cAMP Levels Are Increased in Patients With Asthma,” recently published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The study, led by researchers at Rutgers University’s Department of Translational Medicine and Science in New Brunswick, New Jersey, suggests that measuring serum cAMP levels could serve as a diagnostic tool for asthma and potentially indicate disease severity.
The study analyzed blood samples from 87 asthma patients, including 39 with severe asthma, and 273 participants without asthma. In key findings, researchers discovered that cAMP levels in the blood of asthma patients are significantly higher — up to 1,000 times — compared to individuals without asthma. Additionally, they determined that a transporter protein, rather than phosphodiesterase, facilitated the leakage of cAMP into the bloodstream and that there was no significant difference found between severe and non-severe asthma groups.
Reynold Panettieri, MD
The study’s authors said they believe the elevated cAMP levels in asthma patients' blood could lead to the development of a point-of-care test for asthma diagnosis and monitoring. Researchers are working to create a sensitive and reliable test for use in doctors’ offices, although initial attempts at a simple lateral flow device were not successful. They indicated further research is needed to explore the relationship between cAMP levels, treatment responses and genetic variations in asthma.