Background: Severe asthma carries a high burden and often requires biologic therapy targeting type 2 (T2) inflammation. However, treatment response is heterogeneous, and traditional biomarkers, such as blood eosinophils, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and total serum IgE, may not fully explain this variability .
Objective: To evaluate clinical and inflammatory characteristics associated with response to biologic therapies in a real-world cohort of severe asthma patients.
Methods: A single-center, ambispective observational study was conducted in the Allergology Department of A Coruña, Spain. Sixty-seven patients with severe uncontrolled asthma and treated with omalizumab, mepolizumab, benralizumab, dupilumab, or tezepelumab, were included. Patients were followed for ≥12 months. Clinical variables and inflammatory biomarkers were assessed at baseline, 4-6 months, and 12 months. Comparisons between biologic subgroups and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with response.
Results: Female sex, nasal polyposis, elevated blood eosinophils, and frequent exacerbations were associated with better response to biologics. Clinical factors such as nasal polyposis and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) showed a stronger association with treatment response than standard biomarkers (FeNO, blood eosinophils). The mean diagnostic delay was 12.1 years, suggesting a potential influence on therapeutic results.
Conclusion: Beyond traditional biomarkers, clinical factors particulary nasal polyposis and AERD may play a key role in understanding response patterns to biologics. Incorporating these variables into clinical assessment may help support a more personalized management approach in severe asthma.
Keywords: Aspirin-induced asthma (aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease – AERD); biological therapy; biomarkers; clinical factors; eosinophilia; nasal polyps; precision medicine; severe asthma.