Airway Microbiome in Asthma: Relationships to Asthma Phenotype and Inhaled Corticosteroid Treatment

Two broad specific aims of this study are: 1)To evaluate whether the microbiota of the bronchial airways in atopic asthmatics and atopic healthy controls differ in microbial diversity, richness, evenness, or composition of specific bacterial taxa. 2) To determine whether inhaled corticosteroid treatment alters bronchial microbial community composition in asthmatics.