{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T21:56:31Z","timestamp":1781646991524,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775088000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777334400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":26,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH)"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Respir Res"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The introduction of biologicals interfering with the interleukin-5 (IL-5) pathway has revolutionized the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA), rendering remission an achievable goal even in patients with previously uncontrolled disease. This study investigated whether specific plasma biomarkers or clinical features could predict clinical remission in patients treated with an IL-5- (mepolizumab) or IL-5 receptor alpha-antibody (benralizumab) for severe eosinophilic asthma. Clinical remission, defined as sustained symptom control, absence of exacerbations, stable lung function, and no need for systemic corticosteroids, was assessed after 12 months. Plasma levels of 30 cytokines and chemokines were measured at baseline and after three months in 41 patients receiving either mepolizumab or benralizumab. Twelve patients (29%) achieved remission. Clinical characteristics and commonly used biomarkers, including blood eosinophil counts and fractional exhaled nitric oxide, showed no significant association with remission. However, elevated levels of B cell\u2013activating factor (BAFF) at baseline and 3 months follow-up were significantly associated with failure to achieve remission. Logistic regression analyses revealed that plasma BAFF levels were predictive for remission status outperforming conventional eosinophilic inflammation markers. These findings suggest that elevated plasma BAFF may indicate B cell\u2013driven inflammatory in severe eosinophilic asthma, which is not adequately addressed by therapies targeting interleukin-5. BAFF may serve as a valuable biomarker to identify patients less likely to respond to interleukin-5\u2013directed treatments and who may benefit from alternative therapies. Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore the role of BAFF in personalized treatment strategies for severe asthma.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12931-026-03500-0","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T06:06:40Z","timestamp":1775110000000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["B cell activating factor (BAFF) levels are associated with failed remission after 12 months of treatment with benralizumab and mepolizumab in severe asthma"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"27","author":[{"given":"Bettina Corinna","family":"Fischer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nora","family":"Drick","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bin","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lennart","family":"Riemann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anika","family":"Habener","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David","family":"DeLuca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna-Maria","family":"Dittrich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marius M.","family":"Hoeper","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hendrik","family":"Suhling","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gesine","family":"Hansen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ruth","family":"Grychtol","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]]},"reference":[{"issue":"10056","key":"3500_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2115","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(16)31324-1","volume":"388","author":"ER Bleecker","year":"2016","unstructured":"Bleecker ER, FitzGerald JM, Chanez P, Papi A, Weinstein SF, Barker P. u. a. 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All patients gave their written informed consent.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Written consent for the publication of data obtained from biomaterials was obtained from each patient in the form of the DZL Broad Consent.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"Anika Habener: Receives a research grant from the German Center for Lung Research (DZL; BMBF, Federal Ministry of Education and Research) for Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Anna-Maria Dittrich: Clinical study funding from Vertex Pharmaceutical Inc. for execution of clinical studies. Money paid from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (German Lung Center; DZL) to institution\/principal investigator for CF- and asthma-related basic and clinical research, ongoing since 2013. Money paid to institution\/principal investigator for investigation of the role of innate lymphoid cells in inflammatory lung diseases as principal investigator (Priority Program 1937, 2021-2023) from the German Science Foundation. Money paid to institution\/principal investigator for investigation of digital patient records as use case to predict asthma or COPD exacerbation CALM QE consortium, 2023-2027 from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Received consulting fees on advice on Asthma therapy in children by a personal remuneration via c4c consortium from Novartis. Received payments from Hogrefe Publishing Company for scientific Advice for Children\u2019s books on asthma and atopic dermatitis, editorial work for Journal: \u201cKindheit und Entwicklung\u201d, personal remuneration, ongoing. Personal remuneration for participation in the 2025 telecolloquium on label extension of Elexacaftor\/tezacaftor\/Ivacaftor, Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Personal remuneration 2024 for an Article on Long-term effects of CFTR modulators, Vertex Pharmaceutical Inc. Payment for development and presentation of online education on CF-related topics, 2024 Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Personal remuneration for online educational presentation, StreamedUP, 2024. Personal remuneration for CF Manual, Medical Book on CF Care, Christiane-Herzog-Foundation 2022. Personal remuneration for Advisory Opinion for the Austrian Society for Rare Disease certification process, 2022. Received travel fees for an invited talk on immunotherapy in children, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, International Paul-Ehrlich-Symposium (IPES), 2022. Member of the German CF patient advocacy board since 01\/2020 (unpaid). Member of German CF Clinical Trial Network ExecCommittee since 06\/2023 (unpaid). Member oft the ECFS CTN ExecCommittee since 01\/2023 (unpaid). Ruth Grychtol: Received grant payments by the German Center for Lung Research (DZL; BMBF, Federal Ministry of Education and Research) to the Hannover Medical School. Received grant payment for Clinican Scientist Programme by the Else-Kr\u00f6ner Fresenius Foundation. Lennart Riemann: No competing interests. Bettina Corinna Fischer: No competing interests. Bin Liu: Receives grant payments from the German Center for Lung Research (DZL; BMBF, Federal Ministry of Education and Research) made to the Hannover Medical School. David DeLuca: No competing interests. Gesine Hansen: Received grant payments from the German Center for Lung Research (DZL; BMBF, Federal Ministry of Education and Research) made to the Hannover Medical School, as well as grants from German Research Foundation (DFG), EXC 2155 \u201cRESIST\u201d, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), CHAMP (01GL1742F), Niedersachsen Vorab Foundation (INDIRA). Consulting fees from Sanofi GmbH. Lecture fee from MedUpdate, lecture fee from Abbvie. Hendrik Suhling: Received personal fees\/speaker honoraria from AstraZeneca, GSK, Novartis and Sanofi, consulting fees from Astra Zeneca, GSK, Novartis, Sanofi, lecture fees from Astra Zeneca, GSK, Novartis, Sanofi. Nora Drick: Received consulting fees from Glaxo-Smith-Klein, Sanofi-Aventis, AstraZeneca, lecture fees from Glaxo-Smith-Klein, Sanofi-Aventis, AstraZeneca. Marius Hoeper: Received consulting fees from Acceleron, Actelion, AOP Health, Bayer, Ferrer, GossamerBio, Inhibikase, Janssen, Keros, MSD and Novartis.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"188"}}