Electrophilic Fatty Acid Derivatives in Asthma

Asthma is an inflammatory disease, which means it causes swelling in the lungs to cause shortness of breath and/or wheezing. There are several asthma medications that help to reduce this problem. The objective of this research study is to characterize the presence of electrophilic fatty acids in the bronchial airway of subjects with controlled asthma at baseline and after treatment with Aspirin, Indomethacin, or no treatment at all. The presence of electrophilic fatty acids may indicate inflammation. Aspirin and Indomethacin are known to respectively increase and inhibit the formation of electrophilic fatty acids. By gaining a better understanding of how electrophilic fatty acids work and how they respond to different treatment, researchers hope to be able to find better ways to lessen airway inflammation in asthma in the future.