Risk Of Childhood Asthma Research Articles

Preconception exposure to over-the-counter medications and antibiotics and the risk of childhood asthma in Lebanon: A cross-sectional study.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between the mother's use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications during pregnancy and asthma in Lebanese children. A cross-sectional study was conducted on Lebanese students in both public and private schools, between January and September 2017, involving 1000 children aged between 4 and 17 years. The intake of any medication as an independent variable throughout pregnancy reveals that being in a public school compared to a private one (Beta = 0.344) and breastfeeding (Beta = 0.51) were highly associated with lower odds of asthma, while having a positive family of allergic rhinitis (Beta = 2.129) and the intake of any medication during pregnancy (Beta = 7.052) were highly associated with higher odds of asthma.A second logistic regression, taking as the dependent variable asthmatic versus healthy children and taking each OTC drug as an independent variable, showed that taking paracetamol once per week during pregnancy (Beta = 4.66) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) once per month (Beta = 3.498) compared to no intake were significantly correlated with higher probability of asthma. Our findings showed that the intake of paracetamol, vitamin C, and PPIs during pregnancy is strongly correlated with asthma in the offspring. Since these factors are avoidable, it is necessary to raise awareness among healthcare professionals to reduce the prevalence of asthma in children.

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to Bisphenol A and Asthma: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundBisphenol A (BPA) is a plasticizer with high production and ubiquitous usage in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. The association between prenatal or postnatal exposure to BPA and childhood wheeze/asthma has not been well established. Our study aimed to provide further justification for the current studies.MethodsStudies were searched from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase from inception until Sep 15, 2020. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate pooled adjusted odds ratios (aOR). The methodological quality of included studies was assessed by using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS).ResultsOf 2,814 screened articles, 9 studies with 3,885 participants were included in the final analysis. When all studies were pooled, postnatal exposure to BPA was associated with a higher risk of childhood asthma (aOR =1.43; 95% CI: 1.28–1.59) or childhood wheeze (aOR =1.38; 95% CI: 1.18–1.62). Prenatal exposure to BPA had a small but significant increased risk of childhood asthma (aOR =1.17; 95% CI: 1.01–1.34). An increased risk of childhood wheeze was related to prenatal exposure to BPA at 16 weeks’ gestation (aOR =1.29; 95% CI: 1.07–1.55), but not at 26 weeks’ gestation (aOR =1.07; 95% CI: 0.88–1.29) nor at random-time gestation (aOR =1.02; 95% CI: 0.89–1.16).ConclusionsPrenatal and postnatal exposure to BPA was related to an increased risk of childhood asthma. However, only postnatal and early gestational exposure (at 16 weeks) to BPA could induce the risk of childhood wheeze, but not late gestational exposure (at 26 weeks).

Does breastfeeding for at least three months decrease the risk of childhood asthma?

Does breastfeeding for at least three months decrease the risk of childhood asthma?

Proton-Pump Inhibitors and Increased Risk for Childhood Asthma

The use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) in children and pregnant mothers has been suggested to increase risk for childhood asthma. These researchers

The impact of obesity on immune function in pediatric asthma.

Pediatric obese asthma is a complex disease that remains poorly understood. The increasing worldwide incidence of both asthma and obesity over the last few decades, their current high prevalence and the challenges in treating obese asthmatic patients all highlight the importance of a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms in obese asthma. While it is well established that patients with obesity are at an increased risk of developing asthma, the mechanisms by which obesity drives the onset of asthma, and modifies existing asthma, remain unclear. Here, we will focus on mechanisms by which obesity alters immune function in asthma. Lung parenchyma has an altered structure in some pediatric obese asthmatics, known as dysanapsis. Central adiposity is linked to reduced pulmonary function and a better predictor of asthma risk in children than BMI. Obesity in young children is associated with an increased risk of developing asthma, as well as early puberty, and hormonal alterations are implicated in obese asthma. Obesity and asthma each yield immunometabolic dysregulation separately and we are learning more about alterations in these pathways in pediatric obese asthma and the potential impact of bariatric surgery on those processes. The recent progress in clarifying the connections between childhood obesity and asthma and their combined impacts on immune function moves us closer to the goals of improved understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning obese asthma and improved therapeutic target selection. However, this common inflammatory disease remains understudied, especially in children, and much remains to be learned.

Association Between Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Risk of Asthma in Children

The use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in children has increased substantially in recent years, concurrently with emerging concerns that these drugs may increase the risk of asthma. Whether PPI use in the broad pediatric population is associated with increased risk of asthma is not known. To investigate the association between PPI use and risk of asthma in children. This nationwide cohort study collected registry data in Sweden from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2016. Children and adolescents 17 years or younger were matched by age and propensity score into 80 870 pairs of those who initiated PPI use and those who did not. Data were analyzed from February 1 to September 1, 2020. Initiation of PPI use. The primary analysis examined the risk of incident asthma with a median follow-up to 3.0 (interquartile range, 2.1-3.0) years. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). Among the 80 870 pairs (63.0% girls; mean [SD] age, 12.9 [4.8] years), those who initiated PPI use had a higher incidence rate of asthma (21.8 events per 1000 person-years) compared with noninitiators (14.0 events per 1000 person-years), with an HR of 1.57 (95% CI, 1.49-1.64). The risk of asthma was significantly increased across all age groups and was highest for infants and toddlers with an HR of 1.83 (95% CI, 1.65-2.03) in the group younger than 6 months and 1.91 (95% CI, 1.65-2.22) in the group 6 months to younger than 2 years (P < .001 for interaction). The HRs for individual PPIs were 1.64 (95% CI, 1.50-1.79) for esomeprazole, 1.49 (95% CI, 1.25-1.78) for lansoprazole, 1.43 (95% CI, 1.35-1.51) for omeprazole, and 2.33 (95% CI, 1.30-4.18) for pantoprazole. In analyses of the timing of asthma onset after PPI initiation, the HRs were 1.62 (95% CI, 1.42-1.85) for 0 to 90 days, 1.73 (95% CI, 1.52-1.98) for 91 to 180 days, and 1.53 (95% CI, 1.45-1.62) for 181 days to end of follow-up. The association was consistent through all sensitivity analyses, including high-dimensional propensity score matching (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.41-1.55). In this cohort study, initiation of PPI use compared with nonuse was associated with an increased risk of asthma in children. Proton pump inhibitors should be prescribed to children only when clearly indicated, weighing the potential benefit against potential harm.

Household mold, pesticide use, and childhood asthma: A nationwide study in the U.S.

To investigate the associations of household mold and pesticide use with risk of childhood asthma and examine the potential effect modification by child's sex at a national level in the U.S. Nationally representative data were drawn from the cross-sectional 2017 and 2018 National Surveys of Children's Health. Household mold and pesticide exposures during the past 12 months and physician-diagnosed childhood asthma were assessed by standard questionnaires administered to primary caregivers. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for current asthma, adjusting for child, caregiver, and household covariates. We also examined potential effect modification by child's sex. Sampling weights accounted for the complex survey design. Among 41,423 U.S. children in 2017-2018, the weighted prevalence of current asthma was 10.8% in household mold-exposed children, compared with 7.2% in non-exposed children (P<0.001). After adjusting for covariates including child's obesity, children with household mold exposure compared to those with no household mold exposure had a 1.41-fold (95% CI: 1.07, 1.87) higher odds of current asthma. Associations between household mold and current asthma were pronounced among boys (aOR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.03-2.38) but not girls (aOR 1.28; 0.90-1.83; P for interaction <0.001). No significant associations were observed between household pesticide use and current asthma, after adjusting for covariates. Our findings suggest that household mold is associated with current asthma among children, independent of other major risk factors including child's obesity status. Our findings may inform strategies targeting mitigation of household mold as an important indoor environment factor to address childhood asthma.

Early life food allergen sensitization and risk of childhood asthma in an infant bronchiolitis cohort

Early life food allergen sensitization and risk of childhood asthma in an infant bronchiolitis cohort

Staphylococcus aureus Increases Rhinovirus Replication and Synergistically Enhances Cytotoxicity During Co-infection of the Airway Epithelium

Early-life colonization patterns of the airway epithelium by bacteria and the co-detection of specific bacterial species with rhinovirus (RV) has been shown to increase the risk of childhood asthma. Staphylococcus aureus is a common nasal symbiont that has implicated in the development of childhood asthma and chronic sinusitis. In this study we tested how S. aureus and RV co-infection affected the bronchial epithelium.

Maternal Metabolome in Pregnancy and Childhood Asthma or Recurrent Wheeze in the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial.

The in utero environment during pregnancy has important implications for the developing health of the child. We aim to examine the potential impact of maternal metabolome at two different timepoints in pregnancy on offspring respiratory health in early life. In 685 mother-child pairs from the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial, we assessed the prospective associations between maternal metabolites at both baseline (10–18 weeks gestation) and third trimester (32–38 weeks gestation) and the risk of child asthma or recurrent wheeze by age three using logistic regression models accounting for confounding factors. Subgroup analyses were performed by child sex. Among 632 metabolites, 19 (3.0%) and 62 (9.8%) from baseline and third trimester, respectively, were associated with the outcome (p-value < 0.05). Coffee-related metabolites in the maternal metabolome appeared to be of particular importance. Caffeine, theophylline, trigonelline, quinate, and 3-hydroxypyridine sulfate were inversely associated with asthma risk at a minimum of one timepoint. Additional observations also highlight the roles of steroid and sphingolipid metabolites. Overall, there was a stronger relationship between the metabolome in later pregnancy and offspring asthma risk. Our results suggest that alterations in prenatal metabolites may act as drivers of the development of offspring asthma.

Association between cold spells and childhood asthma in Hefei, an analysis based on different definitions and characteristics

BackgroundAs the global climate continues to warm, there is an increased focus on heat, but the role of low temperatures on health has been overlooked, especially for developing countries. Methods We collected the admission data of childhood asthma in 2013–2016 from Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, as well as meteorological data from the Meteorological Bureau for the study period and collected data of pollutants from 10 monitoring stations around Hefei city. Poisson's generalized additive model (GAM) combined with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to estimate the short-term effects of cold spell on childhood asthma in cold seasons (November to March). 16 definitions of cold spells were clearly compared, which combining 4 temperature indexes (daily minimum and mean temperature; daily minimum and mean apparent temperature), 2 temperature thresholds (2.5th and 5th) and 3 durations of at least 2–4 days. We then have an analysis of the modifying effect of characteristics of cold spells and individuals(gender and age), with a view to discovering the susceptible population to cold spell. Results There was significant association between cold spells and admission risk for childhood asthma. And the definition, in which daily minimum apparent temperature falls below 5th percentile for at least 3 consecutive days, produced the optimum model fit performance. Based on this optimal fit we found that, for the total population, the effect of cold spell lasted approximately five days (lag1-lag5), with the largest effect occurring in lag 3 (RR = 1.110; 95% CI: 1.052–1.170). In subgroup analysis, the cumulative effect of lag0-7 was higher in males and school-age children than in females and other age groups, respectively. In addition, we found that the effect of is higher as the duration increases. Conclusion This study suggests an association between cold spell and childhood asthma, and minimum AT may be a better indicator to define the cold spells. Boys and school-age children are more vulnerable to cold spell. And one of our very interesting findings is that if a cold spell lasts for several days, the impact of the cold spell on those later days is likely to be greater than that of the previous days. In conclusion, we should pay more attention to the protection of boys and school-aged children in our future public health protection and give more attention to those cold spells that last longer. Therefore, we recommend that schools and health authorities need to take targeted measures to reduce the risk of asthma in children during the cold spell.

Polymorphism of Glutathione Sand#8209;Transferase M1 and T1 Genes and Susceptibility to Childhood Asthma: A Study from North India

Objectives: Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) enzymes play an important role in the xenobiotic biotransformation of endogenous or exogenous toxicants and thought to protect the airways from oxidative stress, inflammation, and genotoxicity. Polymorphisms in the GST genes may lead to an increased imbalance in antioxidant systems and may influence the pathogenesis of asthma. We examined the association of the GST gene polymorphism to ascertain whether high-risk genotypes of GSTM1/GSTT1 could influence the susceptibility to childhood asthma in the N orth Indian population. Methods: The study constituted of 100 childhood asthmatic cases and 180 age-matched controls. The GSTT1 and GSTM1 null genotypes were identified by multiplex PCR in peripheral blood DNA samples. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS 20.0 soft ware. Results: No association was seen either the null genotype of the GSTM1 or GSTTT1 (P > 0.05); however, in atopy patients significant association were observed with null genotype of GSTT1 (OR=2.67; P<0.05) for risk of child hood asthma. In combined analysis of GSTM1/GSTT1, presence of null genotypes of GSTM1 G P<0.05) compared to positive genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1. When compared among gender, GSTT1 null genotype was found to be statistically significant in male (OR=2.71; P<0.005) as compared to female childhood asthmatic patients. Conclusion: In conclusion, null genotype of GSTT1 exhibits significant association for the risk of childhood asthma, especially in disease predisposition and initiation.

Exposure to Polyhexamethylene Guanidine Exacerbates Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness and Lung Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma.

Humidifier disinfectants (HDs) exposure has now been associated with acute lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis; polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) has been confirmed to cause severe lung inflammation and fibrosis in mice. Recent evidence also indicates that HDs exposure increases the asthma risk in children, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the effects of PHMG exposure on asthma in mice and the potential underlying mechanisms. BALB/c mice were intranasally administered PHMG (0.1 mg/kg/day; 5 days per week) during 2 episodes of ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and were then challenged with 1% OVA by inhalation. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), inflammatory cell influx into bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, serum total and OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels, and histopathological changes in the lung were analyzed. The levels of asthma-related cytokines and chemokines were assayed in the lung tissues to evaluate possible mechanisms. Exposure to PHMG following OVA sensitization and challenge significantly enhanced BHR, inflammatory cell counts in BAL fluid, airway inflammation, and total serum IgE levels in the asthma mouse model. In addition, the levels of chemokine ligand (CCL) 11 and serpine F1/pigment epithelium-derived factor (SERPINF1) were significantly elevated in the lungs of these mice compared to those in the control and OVA-treated only groups. Our findings suggest that PHMG can enhance the development of allergic responses and lung inflammation via CCL11- and SERPINF1-induced signaling in a mouse model of asthma.

Helping asthmatic children through bonding therapy

Abstract: Disruptions in maternal-infant bonding are shown to be the mediating variable between maternal distress and the subsequent expression of childhood asthma. When bonding is repaired, it seems that children's asthmatic symptoms diminish or remit. This study evaluated 16 asthmatic children before and after their mothers were treated with bonding therapy. Fourteen improved on 11 measures, including reduction in STEP classification system and medication use. Thirteen children were able to stop all medications. The links between bonding disruptions, stress, and airway inflammation are discussed. Keywords iBonding Therapy, Childhood Asthma, Bonding Disruption, Asthma Treatment Introduction Asthma affects more children's lives than any other chronic illness (Lara et al., 2002). In 2008, just over 10 million children within the U. S were reported as ever having had a diagnosis of asthma (Akinbami, Moorman, Garbe, & Sondik, 2009). It is the third-ranking cause of hospital admissions in children under 15 (DeFrances, Cullen, & Kozak, 2007). The financial cost in America in 2007 was $56 billion in health costs, lost school and work days, and early deaths (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Asthma is responsible for 14 million missed school days annually (Martin, 2004) - more than any other chronic illness. Since childhood asthma has reached epidemic proportions and has major public health and financial impacts, researchers have been attempting to identify risk factors for the development of this disease. For several years a significant focus of attention has revolved around the connection between maternal distress and the subsequent development of asthma children. Mrazek, Klinnert, Mrazek, and Macey (1991), at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine in Denver, studied 150 children whose mothers were asthmatic. They found a link between early problems in coping/parenting and the subsequent expression of asthma. Klinnert et al. (2001), surprised by this finding, noted that this link between parental stress in care-giving and the subsequent development of asthma was the first documented report of such a connection. Maternal stress is known to be caused by many factors: Cesarean section deliveries, maternal health issues, psychological problems, maternal despondency, to list a few. Cesarean section deliveries and emergency cesarean sections have been linked to childhood asthma. A Finnish study of 60,000 births found that mothers who delivered by cesarean sections were 50% more likely to have a child who later developed asthma (Kero et al., 2002). Emergency cesarean section deliveries (even more stressful) predictably raised the asthma rate up to 60%. This finding was replicated by Roduit et al. (2009) who studied 2,917 children. Annesi-Maesano, Moreau, and Strachan (2001), using a British cohort of 2,583 mothers, investigated whether in utero and perinatal influences contribute to the development and severity of asthma in childhood. Childhood asthma was more frequently reported by mothers when there had been health complications during pregnancy, labor, or delivery, or when the child was ill during the first week of life. She concluded that there is evidence that in utero and perinatal factors may increase the risk of developing asthma. Similarly, a Norwegian study of over 1.5 million mothers and 5,938 asthmatic children found that many types of pregnancy complications represented a risk factor for the development of asthma in the offspring (Nafstad, Samuelsen, Irgens, & Bjerkedal, 2003). Kozyrskyj et al. (2008) studied healthcare records of 13,907 children and their mothers from Manitoba databases. Healthcare or prescription medication for depression or anxiety was used to define maternal distress, and asthma status was determined from the children's asthma prescription records. They found that risk for childhood asthma was increased among children who were exposed to continued maternal distress from birth until age 7 years. …

Association between Parental Cotinine-verified Smoking Status and Childhood Asthma: a Population-based Nationally Representative Analysis.

BackgroundEnvironmental tobacco smoke exposure due to parents is a modifiable risk factor for childhood asthma, but many studies have evaluated parental smoking using self-reported data. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the relationship between parental cotinine-verified smoking status and asthma in their children.MethodsThis population-based cross-sectional study used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2014 to 2017. Participants aged 0 to 18 years with complete self-reported physician-diagnosed childhood asthma and measurement of their parental urinary cotinine levels were included. Parental urinary cotinine-verified smoking status was defined using both urinary cotinine levels and self-report, as active, passive, and non-smoker. Sample weights were applied to all statistical analyses because of a complex, multistage and clustered survey design. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between childhood asthma and parental smoking.ResultsA total of 5,264 subjects aged < 19 years were included. The prevalence of asthma was 3.4%. The proportions of paternal and maternal urinary cotinine-verified active smokers during the study period were 50.4% and 16.9%, respectively. When parental urinary cotinine level increased, the proportion of parental low household income was increased (P < 0.001). There was no significant association between the parental urinary cotinine-verified smoking group and childhood asthma group. However, the adjusted odds ratios of childhood asthma in the middle and highest tertile of paternal urinary cotinine levels compared with those in lowest tertile were 1.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98–3.89) and 2.34 (95% CI, 1.21–4.54), respectively.ConclusionThere seems to be a dose-related association between paternal urinary cotinine levels and the risk of childhood asthma. Because of the high rate of paternal smoking, further studies are needed to develop a targeted strategy to reduce parental smoking for childhood asthma.

Association Between Asthma Control Status and Lung Function with Vitamin D Level in Children with Bronchial Asthma

Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Pooled vitD levels were positively correlated with pooled ACT scores, Treg counts, FEV1% values and VDBP levels. Vitamin D supplementation reduced the rate of asthma exacerbation, especially in patients with vitamin D insufficiency. The 25-OH vitamin D levels were lower in pediatric asthma patients with worse spirometry results. Lower vitamin D levels in children with STRA were associated with increased ASM mass and worse asthma control and lung function. Materials and methods: The study was performed in children aged 6 -15 years old, including patients with asthma (n=50), who referred to Sachkhere medical center for a visit. The status of asthma control in the basic group was classified as controlled (n=31) and uncontrolled (n=19). The children underwent serum vitamin D and IgE level, spirometry and skin prick tests for the study. Results: Using the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of asthma was associated with the reduced level of vitamin D (OR=1.35, 95% CI (1,14-1.58) P=0.011; X²=6.78; F-0.022) in children with uncontrolled bronchial asthma. 48% of the patients in the group- controlled asthma (n=15) had vitamin D deficit, and in 52% of the cases (n=16) was confirmed with vitamin D insufficient. In the group –uncontrolled asthma - 5% of the patients (n=1) had Vitamin D insufficiency in blood serum. In 95% (n=18) of the patients vitamin D level was significantly low < 20 ng/ml. According the results, decreased pulmonary function (p-0.039; x2-3.12) is strongly associated with low level of vitamin D; but neither serum IgE level (p-0.54; x2-10.9), nor skin prick test result on dust mite (p-0.50, x2-5.12) was correlations with serum vitamin D low level. Conclusion: The presence of vitamin D deficiency effectively predict increased risk of uncontrolled bronchial asthma in children. Serum vitamin D level is related to lung function too. Therefore, by normalize vitamin D level in blood serum maybe improve lung function and control status in children with bronchial asthma.

Upper-airway dysbiosis related to frequent sweets consumption increases the risk of asthma in children with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Innate immunity response to local dysbiosis seems to be one of the most important immunologic backgrounds of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and concomitant asthma. We aimed to assess clinical determinants of upper-airway dysbiosis and its effect on nasal inflammatory profile and asthma risk in young children with CRS. We recruited one hundred and thirty-three children, aged 4-8years with doctor-diagnosed CRS with or without asthma. The following procedures were performed in all participants: face-to-face standardized Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life questionnaire, skin prick test, taste perception testing, nasopharynx swab, and sampling of the nasal mucosa. Upper-airway dysbiosis was defined separately by asthma-specific microbiome composition and reduced biodiversity. Multivariate methods were used to define the risk factors for asthma and upper-airway dysbiosis and their specific inflammatory profile of nasal mucosa. The asthma-specific upper-airway microbiome composition reflected by the decreased ratio of Patescibacteria/Actinobacteria independently of atopy increased the risk of asthma (OR:8.32; 95%CI: 2.93-23.6). This asthma-specific microbiome composition was associated with≥7/week sweet consumption (OR:2.64; 95%C:1.11-6.28), reduced biodiversity (OR:3.83; 95%CI:1.65-8.87), the presence of Staphylococcus strains in the nasopharynx (OR:4.25; 95%CI:1.12-16.1), and lower expression of beta-defensin 2, IL-5, and IL-13 in the nasal mucosa. The reduced biodiversity was associated with frequent antibiotic use and with a higher nasal expression of IL-17 and T1R3 (sweet taste receptor). In asthmatic children, reduced sweet taste perception was observed. Specific upper-airway dysbiosis related to frequent sweet consumption, frequent antibiotic courses, and altered nasal immune function increases the risk of asthma in young children with CRS.

Prevalence of childhood wheeze and modified DNA methylation at 7 years of age according to maternal folate levels during pregnancy in the Hokkaido Study.

A high dose of folic acid during pregnancy may increase the risk of asthma, wheezing, and respiratory disease in childhood. Folate acid can modify inflammation and immune susceptibility of offspring with some epigenetic differentiation, including DNA methylation. This study evaluated associations between maternal folate levels during pregnancy and childhood wheezing; furthermore, the study assessed whether maternal folate-modified DNA methylation is related to asthma. Methods Participants in the current study were 6651 mother-child pairs who had complete data on characteristics and who had completed at least one of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaires when the child was 1, 2, 4, and 7years of age. Moreover, a case-control study to assess DNA methylation at 7years of age was conducted among 136 children who experienced wheezing and a control group of 139 children with no history of allergies. Results The median of maternal serum was 16.76nmol/L, assayed by chemiluminescent immunoassay. We found significantly increased adjusted odds ratios of childhood wheezing at 2years age according to maternal folate levels, compared with the lowest folate quartile (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]=highest; 1.27 [1.03, 1.56], and second, 1.27 [1.05, 1.55]); however, no changes were observed at 1, 4, and 7years of age. In a case-control study, no association of maternal folate levels with DNA methylation was observed. Conclusion Our results suggest that maternal folate did not affect persistent wheezing in school-aged children, or DNA methylation of gasdermin B, orosomucoid-like 3, and Ikaros family zinc finger 3 at 7years of age.

Early Pubertal Maturation and Risk of Childhood Asthma: A Mendelian Randomization and Longitudinal Study

YC Chen, HY Fan, C Yang, YL Lee. Allergy. 2020;75(4):892–900 To explore the correlation, if any, between precocious puberty on the incidence of asthma and any combined effect of early puberty and being overweight. The data were obtained using the Taiwan Children Health Study of children 11–17 years old (2991 children). Parents, or patients themselves if they were 17 years old, completed a questionnaire to classify the child’s asthma. Staging of puberty was performed in 112 patients; 12-year-old children were assessed using a questionnaire and definitions were derived using the Tanner composite stage …

Serum Folate in Asthma: Does it Correlate to Severity? A Single Center Experience

Background: Bronchial asthma is the most common chronic childhood illness. It is characterized by airway inflammation and episodic airflow obstruction. Low serum folate has been inconsistently reported as a risk factor for bronchial asthma severity. Other studies reported an increased risk of asthma in children whose mothers received prenatal folic acid supplementation. Aim of the work: To compare serum folate level in asthmatic patients to non-asthmatic healthy controls, and to demonstrate whether folate level correlates to severity &/or frequency of asthma exacerbations and pulmonary function parameters. Methods: Forty-five asthmatic Egyptian children and an equal number of healthy controls were included. Serum folate level was measured in both groups and spirometry was performed for the asthmatic children. Results: Serum folate levels were significantly lower among patients (7.83ng/ml ± 2.47) versus controls (9.84ng/ml ± 3.47), (p value 0.002). Serum folate levels also had an inverse correlation with severity of asthma exacerbations (r = – 0.482), (p = 0.001) and their frequency (r = – 0.418), (p= 0.004). Serum folate levels inversely correlated as well with severity of asthma as a chronic illness (r = – 0.315), (p = 0.035). The cutoff point of serum folate level that was found to increase the severity of asthma exacerbations was calculated at ≤ 8.84ng/ml. Only 7 patients fell below the current normal reference range for serum folate. On the other hand, serum folate level did not significantly correlate with any of the pulmonary function test variables measured. Conclusions: Serum folate levels were lower in asthmatic children when compared to healthy controls, and it negatively correlated with asthma severity and exacerbations, but not to pulmonary function parameters. The cutoff serum folate level for increased severity of asthma exacerbations fell within the normal folate range for children. Further research is recommended to assess any possible beneficial effects for folate supplementation in asthma.