What is the purpose of the research?  

To understand the different causes of asthma around the world, in richer and poorer countries.

There are many unanswered questions about what causes asthma and how it works. Whilst asthma can be managed successfully, current treatments don’t work for up to half of asthma patients. We think this may be because, for some people with asthma, something is affecting how their nervous system controls their airways.

We want to look at these mechanisms, as well as risk factors such as stress. Answering these questions will help us and other asthma researchers develop effective ways to prevent and contribute to improved treatments for asthma. 

What will I have to do?  

Attend a two-hour clinic at the Clinical Research and Imaging Centre Bristol (CRICBristol), University of Bristol, 60 St Michael’s Hill, Bristol BS2 8DX at a time that is convenient for you. The visit will involve a series of tests which are outlined below.

We might also invite you to a second (shorter) visit three months after your first one where we will repeat the blood pressure, sputum induction and nasal lavage tests. This is just to make sure that the tests we have done are accurate. It has nothing to do with your health or the results from your first visit.

You do not need to have asthma to take part.  We are interested in people who do not have asthma as well as those that do. By looking at both groups of people we can compare the differences between them.

What's involved

Informed consent: a Research Nurse will explain all the sessions to you and answer any questions you may have. Then they will ask you to complete and sign a consent form. You choose how much or how little you'd like to do and you can withdraw from any or all of the sessions at any time. 

Complete a short questionnaire. We will ask you some questions about your lung health and home environment

Skin prick allergy test on the arm. We will put 10 small drops of liquid allergen on your forearm and then prick each drop to see if you have a positive reaction. This is almost painless and just enough to break your skin.  You will receive the results of your skin prick test at your visit. 

Blood pressure measurement. We will measure your blood pressure twice while you are sitting down by placing a cuff around your upper arm. 

Lung function test. We will ask you to blow into a special machine for as long and as hard as you can. 

Sputum induction test. This test involves inhaling a common asthma drug called salbutamol, then breathing in a fine spray of saline solution (slightly salty water). After a few minutes of breathing the spray, you may cough and we will collect what you cough up (sputum) and analyse it.

Nasal lavage sample. We will spray a fine mist of saline solution (slightly salty water) into each nostril through the end of a syringe, then we will ask you to tip your head forward to blow the solution out through your nose into a tube to collect the solution for analysis. This may feel a bit like getting water up your nose when swimming but is unlikely to cause any discomfort.  

Blood sample. We will take a small blood sample from your arm and use it to check the levels of proteins that can cause your airways to get inflamed.

FeNO (fractional exhaled nitric oxide) test. We will ask you to breathe in as deeply as you can through a small mouthpiece and then breathe out slowly at a constant rate. You may feel breathless for a very short period, although generally this test causes no discomfort. We will ask you to do this twice.

TremoFlo (airwave oscillometry system) test. We will ask you to breath normally into a device which will send tiny vibrations into your airways – this will feel like a flutter. We will ask you to do this three times.

The first clinic visit should last about two hours.  If you are invited for the second visit it should take about an hour.  

As a thank you, we will offer you £20 in shopping vouchers for your first clinic and £10 for the second (shorter) one.  

We will also reimburse you for your travel and accommodation expenses and can provide a taxi to CRIC Bristol or parking at the Children of the 90s (a 15 minute walk from CRIC), if required. 

Want to know more?

Our Understanding asthma information sheet (PDF, 305kB) has lots more information about what's involved and the reasons why we do these tests.