title: Severity and associated risk factors in adult asthma patients in Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of asthma of varying severity and associated risk factors are unknown in Turkey.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study investigated the distribution of asthma severity, the factors having roles in asthma severity, and the relationship between serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels and disease severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred patients with asthma (73 male, 227 female) were enrolled in the study. The patients were surveyed for their smoking habits, educational levels, household incomes, asthma duration, occupations, and accompanying diseases. ECP levels were also determined in certain patients representing different disease severities (n: 76) and in a control group (n: 9).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were classified as mild intermittent (n: 14, 5%), mild persistent (n: 220, 73%), moderate (n: 44, 15%), and severe asthma (n: 22, 7%). Cigarette consumption and educational status were similar in all groups. A longer duration of disease and an older population predominated in patients with moderate and severe asthma. Analgesic sensitivity was seen in 7%, 10%, 6%, and 31% of mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate and severe asthma patients, respectively, with the highest ratio in severe asthma (P < .05). Nasal polyps were significantly higher in severe asthmatics. Atopy was diagnosed in 85%, 57%, 56% and 10% of mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate and severe asthma patients, respectively. ECP levels were significantly higher in moderate and severe asthma patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mild asthma was the most common clinical presentation and was associated with atopy. The factors associated with severe asthma included prolonged asthma duration, advanced age, nonatopy, analgesic intolerance and nasal polyps. ECP levels also reflected disease severity.
authors.affiliation: Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Allergy, Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bavbek
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ediger
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mungan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sin
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Demirel
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Misirligil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010406:Penicillins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D012260:Ribonucleases; D012307:Risk Factors; D012882:Skin Tests; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D010406:Penicillins; D012260:Ribonucleases