Asthma in patients with atopic dermatitis.
OBJECTIVE
This cross-sectional study was designed to estimate the frequency of asthma in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), and its related factors.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 236 patients with AD who were referred to Children Medical Center in 1997-2002 and their diagnosis was based on Hanifin & Rajka criteria. Severity of AD was categorized based on Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. Asthma was diagnosed with medical history and clinical examination (three or more episodes of wheezing and/or dyspnea and/or cough after 1 year old). The patients were divided in two groups according to having or not having asthma.


RESULTS
The mean age of patients with AD was 38.67+/-2.68 month and the mean age at onset of asthma was 20+/-2.5 month. The frequency of asthma in AD patients was 27.5%. The mean of SCORAD in nonasthmatic patients was 52.27 +/- 2.52 and in asthmatic patients was 56.2+/- 4.2 (P= 0.4). The mean of duration of breastfeeding in asthmatic patients was 12.2+/-1.6 month and in non-asthmatic patients was 11.16+/-6.3 month (P = 0.87). There was no significant difference between asthmatic patients and others in serum IgE levels (P = 0.65) and blood eosinophil count. (P = 0.49).


CONCLUSIONS
These results confirmed that development of asthma in patients with AD is more than normal population and AD can be a significant predisposing factor to developing asthma but the causative factors are not clear.
Pourpak
Z
Z
Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute and Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Children Medical Center, Medical Sciences/ University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. pourpakz@sina.tums.ac.ir
Mozaffari
H
H
Gharagozlou
M
M
Daneshmandi
Z
Z
Moin
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; D007073:Immunoglobulin E