Methods | Limitations | Benefits |
Tissues obtained from autopsy | Fatal asthma No reliable clinical data No scalable data | Bronchi to alveoli Whole lung studied Most serious forms of asthma studied |
Endobronchial biopsies | Small size No reproducibility of the biopsied areas Proximal bronchi | Invasive Inflammation and associated structural abnormalities |
Endobronchial brush | No tissue sample | Less invasive Can be done without an endoscopy |
Nasal biopsies/brush | Upper airway | Easy to collect |
Bronchoalveolar lavage | Distal bronchi No tissue sample Few validated markers of remodelling | Inflammatory markers Invasive |