title: Factors for high-risk asthma in Taiwanese children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is one of the major causes of death in otherwise healthy young individuals. However, many of these deaths may have been prevented by more aggressive treatment. To determine factors correlated with a high risk of death in Taiwanese children with atopic asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Taiwanese children aged 5-18 years, diagnosed with atopic asthma were enrolled in the study. Atopic asthma was diagnosed and immunoglobulin E (IgE) specific to antigens from any 1 of 8 allergens was measured (i.e. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, cat and dog dander, cockroach, egg white, milk and fish). High-risk asthma was defined as asthma requiring admission to a hospital or a visit to an emergency department. The study tried to determine the association of high-risk asthma with allergy-related parameters (e.g. asthma severity, asthma score, total serum IgE levels, serum levels of allergen-specific IgE, eosinophil count) and pulmonary function in Taiwanese children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand one hundred and twenty-two Taiwanese children were evaluated. Those with higher asthma severity, asthma symptom score, serum levels of IgE specific to D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae, higher total serum IgE levels, and lower FEF25-75% (forced expiratory flow, 25-75%) values were considered to be members of the high-risk asthma group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The characterization of risk factors has enabled us to identify high-risk asthma in Taiwanese children, which will facilitate the treatment of these children in the future.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Immunology, Rheumatology Disease, Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chieh-Han
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Shyh-Dar
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Shyur
authors.forename: Li-Hsin
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yu-Hsuan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Wei-Te
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Chia-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuo-Hsi
authors.forename: Chen-Kuan
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ling-Chun
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E