[Relation between asthma and atopy markers in children and young adults].
The aim of this study was to assess whether atopy, measured as total IgE level (IgEt) and/or skin test (ST) reactivity is related to bronchial asthma in the same way in children and young adults. Three hundred fifty-three children between 11 and 15 years of age (mean 12.6 years) and 208 adults between 20 and 44 years old (mean 32.1 years) were selected randomly as representative of persons living in the city of Huelva (Spain). All subjects filled out a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms (The European Community Respiratory Health Survey--[ECRHS]) and were given a methacholine challenge test (MT) with results expressed as PD20 as well as IgEt and ST assessments of atopy. We defined bronchial asthma as the association of having experienced wheezing within the last 12 months and having a positive ST. Among children, 4.5% suffered bronchial asthma. Among adults the proportion was 5.3%. The IgEt value that best discriminated between asthmatics and non asthmatics was 145.5 U/ml in children (sensitivity 75% and specificity 69.1%) and 96.6 U/ml in adults (sensitivity 90.9% and specificity 73.6%). A logarithmic transformation (log IgEt) was used to study the relation between bronchial asthma and IgEt. By simple analysis, IgEt and ST were related to bronchial asthma in children (p = 0.002 and p < 0.0001, respectively), while only IgEt (p < 0.001) was related in adults. By multiple regression analysis, controlling for both factors simultaneously as well as for smoking in adults, we found that ST (p = 0.023) but not IgEt was related in children, whereas IgEt (p = 0.0005) but not ST was related in adults. We conclude that the two markers of atopy studied are related to bronchial asthma differently and have different manifestations at different stages of life. ST is more useful in children, whereas IgE determination is of more use in adults.
Pereira Vega
A
A
Sección de Neumología, Hospital Juan Ramón Jiménez, Huelva.
Sánchez Ramos
J L
JL
Maldonado Pérez
J A
JA
Ayerbe García
R
R
Gómez Entrena
M
M
Grávalos Guzmán
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity; D002648:Child; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012882:Skin Tests
D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D007073:Immunoglobulin E