Research on the Characteristics of Chronic Airway Diseases (asthma, COPD)

Primary outcomes

1. Inflammatory Phenotype of Chronic Airway Diseases

   Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

   The inflammation phenotype will be determined by measuring the different proportions of eosinophils, neutrophils and mast cells in induced sputum and peripheral blood.The inflammatory phenotypes of asthma can be divided into eosinophil asthma(eosinophil > 1.01%) ， neutrophil asthma(neutrophil > 61%)， Oligocellular asthma (eosinophil > 61%)and mixed cell asthma(eosinophil > 1.01%, neutrophil > 61%).

2. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes of Athma

   Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

   Using the "Diagnostic Criteria for Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes of Bronchial Asthma (2016 Edition)" to assess the TCM syndromes of asthma.

3. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes of COPD

   Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

   Using the "Diagnostic Criteria for Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (2011 Edition)" to assess the TCM syndromes of COPD.

4. General Demographic Data

   Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

   General demographic data, including name, age（years）, sex(male / female), BMI(kg/m2), occupation, smoking history (years)and drinking history(years), will be recorded.

5. Asthma Control Test (ACT)

   Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

   ACT includes five questions. Every question will be assessed using a 5-point scale with scores ranging from 5 to 25. The higher the score, the better the symptom control.25 is considered complete control level, 20 ~ 24 is considered good control level, and <20 is considered non-control level.

6. COPD Assessment Test (CAT)

   Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

   0-40 scores. Scores for each questionnaire item were tallied based on the participant's responses, and if the total score was >10, the participant needed to be seen by a physician for further testing to determine if they had COPD.

7. Clinical Symptoms and Signs Questionnaire

   Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

   Assessment will be performed by clinical symptoms and signs questionnaire. The clinical symptoms to be evaluated in this study include cough, expectoration, chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing and cyanosis. A score of 0-3 will be given to every symptom or sign with a higher score indicating a worse conditoin.

8. modified Medical Research Council (mMRC)

   Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

   The modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale is a 5-point (0-4) scale based on the severity of dyspnoea. "0" means no dyspnea perception, "4" means severe dyspnea perception.

9. Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1)

   Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

   FEV1 will be applied to assess pulmonary function.

10. Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)

    Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

    FVC will be applied to assess pulmonary function

11. Diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO)

    Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

    DLCO will be applied to assess pulmonary function.

12. Cough and Sputum Assessment Questionnaire （CASA-Q）

    Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

    Using the CASA-Q to assess the impact of cough and sputum on the quality of life of patients with chronic airway diseases.The questionnaire covers four domains: cough symptoms (3 items), impact of cough (8 items), sputum symptoms (3 items), and impact of sputum (6 items). Each item is scored based on frequency from "never" to "always" and intensity from "not at all" to "a lot/extremely". For each domain, the items are aggregated and rescaled to obtain a score from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating less respiratory impairment.

13. Sputum Characteristic Score

    Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

    Using sputum characteristics scoring to assess the impact of airway mucus hypersecretion in patients with chronic airway diseases, which mainly includes the amount of sputum, the color of sputum, the viscosity of sputum, odor, composition of sputum, and the degree of sputum expectoration.

    A comprehensive scoring scale from 1 to 5 is used, where 1 indicates normal sputum characteristics, and 5 indicates severely abnormal sputum characteristics.

14. Sputum Viscosity Grading

    Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

    Using sputum viscosity grading to assess airway mucus hypersecretion in chronic airway diseases. Grade 0 - No sputum, Grade 1 - Thin sputum, Grade 2 - Moderately viscous sputum, Grade 3 - Highly viscous sputum.

15. mucin 5B（MUC5B）

    Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

    Using ELISA technology to detect MUC5B in induced sputum.

16. mucin 5AC（MUC5AC）

    Time frame: Each registered patient is measured only once at the time of registration.

    Using ELISA technology to detect MUC5AC in induced sputum.