Abstract
Background. We investigated the predictive value and the relative risk of the evaluation of serum eosinophilic cationic protein (sECP) and total IgE levels concomitantly in relation to the persistence of wheezing in young children. Methods. The study was conducted prospectively between January 2007 and December 2010. A hundred and eight children, aged between three months and four years, with three or more episodes of wheezing, were studied to evaluate the role of eosinophil inflammation and its relation to persistence of wheezing two years later. Results. A statistically significant difference in terms of total IgE and sECP values was observed between the groups (P < 0.05). When measurement of IgE and sECP was assessed concomitantly, the sensitivity was found to be 92.68%, the negative predictive value was found to be 71.43%, accuracy rate was found to be 84.26%, and the relative risk was found to be 3.06 in group 1. Conclusions. In this study, we aimed to emphasize the importance of the assessment of sECP and total IgE concomitantly, as being two noninvasive and easily applicable tests, useful in predicting persistent wheezing in early childhood.
Highlights
Wheezing is a musical sound frequently heard during expiration
In terms of the patients’ gender distribution, no statistically significant difference was observed between group 1, which consisted of 46 male and 36 female patients, and group 2, which consisted of 14 male and 12 female patients (P < 0.05)
In relation to the measurement of Eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP), 24 mcg/lt and higher was taken as high, and a statistically significant difference was observed between the rate of 68.3% in group 1 and of 15.4% in group 2 (P < 0.01)
Summary
Wheezing is a musical sound frequently heard during expiration. It is heard in the form of a prolonged whistle and occurs mostly together with diseases that constrict the lower respiratory tract and rarely the upper respiratory tract. Wheezing is a frequent complaint among patients seeking admission to hospital. It often occurs in early childhood, it may be observed in people of all ages. We investigated the predictive value and the relative risk of the evaluation of serum eosinophilic cationic protein (sECP) and total IgE levels concomitantly in relation to the persistence of wheezing in young children. When measurement of IgE and sECP was assessed concomitantly, the sensitivity was found to be 92.68%, the negative predictive value was found to be 71.43%, accuracy rate was found to be 84.26%, and the relative risk was found to be 3.06 in group 1. We aimed to emphasize the importance of the assessment of sECP and total IgE concomitantly, as being two noninvasive and applicable tests, useful in predicting persistent wheezing in early childhood
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