Blood lead levels and childhood asthma.
OBJECTIVE
To measure blood lead levels in children (5-14 y) with bronchial asthma, and correlate with asthma severity.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analytical.


METHODS
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Clinic of a Childrens hospital in Cairo, Egypt.


METHODS
200 children (127 males) with bronchial asthma and 125 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (80 males).


METHODS
Blood lead levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer technique, and were subsequently correlated with asthma severity.


RESULTS
No significant difference in mean (SD) blood lead levels was observed between children with asthma [13.3 (4.8) ug/dL] and control group [11.4 (3.9) ug/dL]. 190 children (58.5%) had elevated blood lead levels (>10 ug/dL), with no significant difference between patients (60%) and controls (56%). Patients with elevated blood lead levels had significantly higher frequency of eosinophilia (66.7%) and increased total immunoglobulin E (83.3%) compared to other patients with blood lead levels <10ug/dL (10% and 43.8%, respectively). Patients of asthma with elevated blood lead levels had higher grades of severity of asthma compared to those with blood lead levels <10 ug/dL.


CONCLUSIONS
Blood lead levels are not significantly associated with diagnosis of asthma but elevated blood lead levels seem to be associated with increased asthma severity and higher frequency of eosinophilia and elevated immunoglobulin E levels.
Departments of Pediatrics and *Community medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Correspondence to: Dr Ahmed Abdullah Mohammed, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Ain Shams University, Faculty of Medicine, Abbassia, Cairo Egypt. PO Box 11566. ahmedazrak@gmail.com.
Ahmed Abdullah
AA
Mohammed
Faisal Yosef
FY
Mohamed
El-Sayed
el-S
El-Okda
Adel Besheer
AB
Ahmed
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D007854:Lead