# Sputum Microbial-Immune Relationships to Clinical Phenotype in Asthma and COPD

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $69,426

## Abstract

There is a critical need to identify biological factors that underlie differences in clinical presentation and response
to treatment in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The growing recognition of
heterogeneity in disease progression, outcomes, and burden of symptoms in combination with mounting
evidence of an important link between the airway microbiome and the immunologic milieu of the airways
continues to highlight new avenues of investigation. Current evidence supports distinguishing asthma patients
by two immunological phenotypes –broadly, those with elevated type 2 cytokine profiles and numbers of sputum
eosinophils (T2-high) and those without (T2-low). While immunologic features that delineate COPD phenotypes
are less clear, recent evidence suggests a T2-high subtype in addition to the traditionally T2-low phenotype. Our
overall hypothesis is that distinct patterns of lower airway microbiota composition and function differentiate T2-
high and T2-low inflammation in asthma, with shared microbial features present in the T2-low phenotypes of
asthma and COPD.Therefore, the objectives of this project are to 1) Define airway microbiome features
associated with T2-low asthma phenotype, and 2) Define features of the airway microbiome associated with
clinical characteristics of asthma and COPD severity within the context of T2-low inflammation. In Aim 1, we
propose to determine the specific members of the airway microbiota and features of their functional
potential that associate with T2-low vs. T2-high inflammation in asthma using samples from 3
independent adult asthma cohorts. Our working hypotheses are 1) Compositional and functional features of
sputum microbiota, particularly involving members of the Gammaproteobacteria, are differentially enriched in
T2-low asthma and associate with clinical characteristics of asthma in T2-low subjects. 2)Non-bacterial members
of the sputum microbiome, particularly fungi, are differentially enriched in T2-high asthma and associate with
clinical characteristics of asthma in T2-high subjects. In Aim 2, we propose to determine the specific
members of the airway microbiota and features of their functional potential that differentially associate
with T2-low vs. T2-high inflammation in both asthma and COPD using combined data from both diseases.
Our working hypothesis is that both T2-low asthma and T2-low COPD associate with similar compositional and
functional features of the sputum bacterial microbiome, involving Proteobacteria members in particular. This
project will significantly advance our current understanding of the clinical implications of airway microbial
dysbiosis in T2-low asthma, and the contributions of the airway microbiota to COPD phenotype. It will also
provide novel insight into the viral, fungal, and functional associations with asthma and COPD phenotype.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9907167
- **Project number:** 1F32HL150954-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Ariangela J Kozik
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $69,426
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9907167

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9907167, Sputum Microbial-Immune Relationships to Clinical Phenotype in Asthma and COPD (1F32HL150954-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9907167. Licensed CC0.

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