{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]],"date-time":"2026-08-12T20:17:06Z","timestamp":1786565826972,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,14]],"date-time":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1594684800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Asthma exacerbation is episodic worsening of respiratory symptoms in conjunction with the deterioration of lung function, which may occur independently from the asthma severity hampering asthmatics\u2019 quality of life. This study aimed to characterize the patient phenotype more prone to asthma exacerbation (oral corticosteroid burst \u22652 per year) to allow the proper identification of such patients. Methods: This real-life, observational, cross-sectional study evaluated 464 asthmatic patients stratified according to the asthma exacerbations experienced in the previous year. Clinical, functional, and blood parameters were retrieved from chart data and were representative of patients in stable conditions. Results: The frequent asthma exacerbator was more commonly female, suffered from chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, had reduced lung function and peripheral oxygen saturation, and had increased daily activity limitations. These patients often had severe asthma and more frequently needed hospitalization in their lives. Furthermore, the frequent asthma exacerbator had higher concentrations of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and exhaled nitric oxide with cut-off risk values of 107.5 kU\/L (OR = 4.1) and 43.35 ppb (OR = 3.8), respectively. Conclusions: This study illustrates the clinical features of the frequent asthma exacerbator phenotype. Nevertheless, serum IgE and exhaled nitric oxide could allow the identification of this phenotype and the establishment of an appropriate therapeutic approach.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm9072226","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,14]],"date-time":"2020-07-14T11:03:23Z","timestamp":1594724603000},"page":"2226","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Clinical Characterization of the Frequent Exacerbator Phenotype in Asthma"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5891-871X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea Elio","family":"Sprio","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vitina","family":"Carriero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefano","family":"Levra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carlotta","family":"Botto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Bertolini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3479-0875","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonino","family":"Di Stefano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pneumology and Laboratory of Cytoimmunopathology of the Heart and Lung, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri SpA, IRCCS, Veruno, 28010 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6751-9921","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mauro","family":"Maniscalco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri SpA, IRCCS, Telese Terme, 82037 Benevento, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7016-8421","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giorgio","family":"Ciprandi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Allergy Clinic, Casa di Cura Villa Montallegro, 16145 Genoa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fabio Luigi Massimo","family":"Ricciardolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1164\/rccm.200801-060ST","article-title":"An official American Thoracic Society\/European Respiratory Society statement: Asthma control and exacerbations: Standardizing endpoints for clinical asthma trials and clinical practice","volume":"180","author":"Reddel","year":"2009","journal-title":"Am. 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