Features of pulmonary haemodynamics and endothelium function in children with asthma

Abstract

Asthma patients (n = 79, 7 to 17 years of age) were divided into 3 groups according to asthma severity: mild (n = 23), moderate (n = 24), and severe asthma (n = 32). Asthma was diagnosed according to GINA (2002). Echocardiography, ultrasound evaluation of endothelium vasomotor function and measurement of nitrite anion concentration in exhaled breathe condensate (EBC) were performed in the all patients. Right ventricle dilatation and increase in the total pulmonary vascular resistance were revealed only in patients with severe asthma compared to the control group. Increase in pulmonary artery systolic pressure was significantly higher in the severe asthma patients compared both to the control group and mild asthma patients. Increased right ventricle pressure was accompanied by endothelium dysfunction in 48.1 % (38 patients). High EBC nitrite anion concentration (12.11 ± 1.72 μmol/L) was revealed in asthmatic children compared to control group (3,34 ± 1,58 μmol/L). The results suggest that childhood asthma is associated with morphological and functional abnormalities of pulmonary hemodynamics and endothelium function depending on severity of the disease.