T Cell Effector and Regulatory Mechanisms in Asthma

Exclusion Criteria

• •Subjects with Allergic Asthma (AA subjects):
• •1. Women of childbearing potential who are pregnant (based on urine beta-HCG or STAT quantitative serum hCG testing), are sexually active and not using contraception, are seeking to become pregnant, or who are nursing.
• •2. The presence of spontaneous asthmatic episode or clinical evidence of upper respiratory tract infection within the previous 6 weeks.
• •3. Participation in a research study involving a drug or biologic during the 30 days prior to the study.
• •4. Intolerance to albuterol, atropine, lidocaine, fentanyl, or midazolam.
• •5. Antihistamines within 7 days of the screening visit.
• •6. Presence of diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, ventricular arrhythmias, history of a cerebrovascular accident, renal failure, history of anaphylaxis, or cirrhosis.
• •7. Use of systemic steroids, increased use of inhaled steroids, beta blockers and MAO inhibitors or a visit for an asthma exacerbation within 1 month of the screening visit.
• •8. Antibiotic use for respiratory disease within 1 month of the characterization visit or a respiratory tract infection within 6 weeks of the bronchoscopy visits.
• •9. A history of asthma-related respiratory failure requiring intubation.
• •10. Quantitative skin-prick test positive reaction down to an allergen concentration of 0.056 BAU or AU/ml.
• •11. Subjects with a high possibility of poor compliance with the study.
• •12. Have a history of cigarette smoking within the past 5 years or \> 5 pack years total.
• •13. Having second-hand cigarette smoke exposure or indoor furry pets except in the case of dog, if the subject is not allergic to the dog and the subject has a negative skin test to dog.
• •14. Other lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis, bronchiectasis or active lung infection.
• •15. Use of Xolair (omalizumab - anti-IgE monoclonal antibody) for 6 months.
• •16. Immunotherapy with cat or dust mite extract now or in the past.
• •17. Use of prophylactic aspirin for cardiovascular disease
• •18. Non-English speakers
• •Allergic Nonasthmatic Subjects (ANA subjects):
• •1. A history of asthma.
• •3. A methacholine PC20 \< 16 mg/ml.
• •1. Anyone unable to lay flat on the scanner table for imaging.
• •2. We will exclude severely and morbidly obese subjects (BMI\> 32) because of the poor quality of images that can be obtained and weight restrictions on the scanner.
• •3. Those with a diffusing capacity \< 80% predicted (if known),
• •4. Subjects with known exposure to agents that are associated with pulmonary disease (i.e. asbestos, silica)
• •5. Subjects who have had any research related radiation exposure greater than 15 mSv within the past year will be excluded.
• •6. Individuals with known allergy or hypersensitivity to FDG will be excluded.