Comparative Diagnostic Efficacy of Biomarkers in Bronchial Asthma: A Tertiary Hospital Based Case Control Study

Introduction: In case of Bronchial Asthma, there are ample of unresolved issues regarding current diagnostic biomarkers in practice. Based on evidence supporting Eosinophil Derived Neurotoxin (EDN), as a promising biomarker, this study has been designed to examine the evolving role of biomarkers in a tertiary hospital. Objectives: To assess levels of Complete Blood Count (CBC), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Eosinophil Derived Neurotoxin (EDN) in patients of Bronchial Asthma in cases and in controls and to study comparative diagnostic efficacy of EDN with respect to CBC, CRP, IL-6. Study Design: Cross sectional Analytical, Case Control Study conducted in Government Doon Medical College & Hospital, Dehradun, and Uttarakhand, India. Duration of study: 12 months.(1) 42 cases and 42 controls have been taken. (2) CBC, CRP was measured in CELL-DYN Ruby analyzer and BA 400 analyser machine respectively. IL-6, EDN was measured by ELISA method, (3) The data was analysed using SPSS Software, (4) A ROC curve analysis was conducted to compare the performances of serum EDN level compared with blood eosinophil count, IL6 and CRP as indicators of bronchial asthma in cases and controls and other parameters with each other. (5) A two-tailed p-value less than 0.05 has been defined as statistical significance. Results: EDN showed better performance when compared with eosinophil count, CRP, IL-6 with increased area under curve and highly significant p value of [0.795, 0.001], [0.797, 0.002], [0.744, 0.008] respectively. EDN did not show significant performance in controls when compared with eosinophil count, CRP, IL-6. Conclusion: Measurement of serum level of EDN along with other biomarkers in use may add a benefit and increase diagnostic efficacy of Bronchial asthma.