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Infectious Asthma Research

Dr. David Hahn

Asthma is believed to be incurable but a growing body of evidence suggests that the most severe forms are caused by infections that are curable by specific courses of antibiotics. In cooperation with David L. Hahn, M.D., MS, a Dean Medical Center physician, Dean Foundation has supported research into novel infectious causes for asthma. This research first raised the possibility that short-term treatments with certain antibiotics may significantly improve or even “cure” some cases of asthma and may improve asthma symptoms and quality of life without the costs and side effects of life-long steroid treatments that are the backbone of current asthma guidelines.

Read more about Infectious Asthma

For patient success stories, see the website: www.asthmastory.com. Dr. Hahn is happy to share research progress with those interested in supporting this research. For more information email Peggy Dovi

Current research:

More positive research is required before antibiotics can be accepted as proven. Current studies underway include:
  • AZMATICS: AZithroMycin Asthma Trial In Community Settings
This clinical trial will test whether a 12-week antibiotic treatment will cause improvement in asthma symptoms up to one year after treatment. http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00266851

Past Dean Foundation-sponsored research:

  • Association of Chlamydia pneumoniae (strain TWAR) infection with wheezing, asthmatic bronchitis and adult-onset asthma. Journal of the American Medical Association 1991; 266:225-230
  • Diagnosed and possible undiagnosed asthma: a Wisconsin Research Network (WReN) study. Journal of Family Practice 1994; 38:373-379
  • Asthma and chlamydial infection: a case series. Journal of Family Practice 1994; 38:589-595
  • Infectious asthma: A re-emerging clinical entity? Journal of Family Practice 1995; 41:153-157
  • Treatment of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in adult asthma: a before-after trial. Journal of Family Practice 1995; 41:345-351
  • Association of Chlamydia pneumoniae IgA antibodies with recently symptomatic asthma. Epidemiology and Infection 1996; 117:513-517
  • Evidence for Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in steroid-dependent asthma. Annals of Allergy Asthma and Immunology 1998; 80:45-49

Asthma Research

Bibliography Area

This annotated bibliography area contains research reports, reviews, and correspondence relating to C. pneumoniae infection, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and COPD. Taken together, these data support the Chlamydia-Asthma Theory: that a significant proportion of asthma is caused by infection, and is treatable with antibiotics (#57). The bibliography includes the first published report(s) on the following topics: Epidemiological

  • C. pneumoniae infection, asthmatic bronchitis and asthma (#1).
  • C. pneumoniae and smoking (#3).
  • C. pneumoniae and the “infectious asthma” syndrome (#18).
  • C. pneumoniae heat shock protein 60 antibodies, asthma and decreased lung function (#40, #45, #62).
  • C. pneumoniae as a common denominator in asthma, chronic bronchitis and COPD (#48, #53).
Clinical
  • C. pneumoniae PCR in primary care clinical practice (#54).
  • C. pneumoniae initiation of chronic asthma (#30) and its “cure” (#19).
  • Microbiological eradication of C. pneumoniae from lung fluid and asthma improvement (#36).
  • Antibiotic effectiveness in “brittle” asthma (#31).
  • Randomized clinical trial (RCT) evidence for lasting symptom improvement after antibiotic treatment of persistent asthma (#60).
Miscellaneous
  • Definition for adult acute asthmatic bronchitis (#14).
  • Prevalence of adult-onset asthma in practice-based research network (primary care) settings (#13).
  • Hypothesis that C. pneumoniae infection causes atopy (#55).
  • Persistence of C. pneumoniae in vascular tissues after 4 to 6 weeks treatment (#42).
  • Suggestion to study C. pneumoniae and regional variations in heart disease (#7).

More articles on infectious asthma.