Allergy Asthma Respir Dis.  2015 Sep;3(5):326-333. 10.4168/aard.2015.3.5.326.

Clinical characteristics related to onset age of wheeze in school-age children and adolescents with asthma

• Jang GC
• Shim JY
• Ahn YM
• Jung JA
• Kim SW
• Chung HL
• The Group for the Study of Asthma in Adolescent Children

• KMID: 2218642
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2015.3.5.326

Abstract

PURPOSE
We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and their relationship with the onset age of wheeze in school-age children and adolescents with asthma.
METHODS
Three hundred twenty-six patients, aged 6 to 19 years, diagnosed with asthma at 6 hospitals from Seoul, Gyeonggi, Daegu, and Busan were enrolled. They were categorized into 3 groups by the onset age of wheeze: group A, early onset (age <3 years); group B, preschool onset (age 3-6 years); group C, late onset (age > or =6 years). Clinical characteristics including atopic sensitization, family history, combined allergic diseases, severity of asthma, and influence of asthma on daily life were examined. A history of hospitalization for early lower respiratory infection (LRI) and environmental tobacco smoking were studied and lung function tests were also performed.
RESULTS
There was no difference in demographics, prevalence of atopy, combined allergic diseases, and family history of allergy between 3 groups. A history of sever LRI in early life was more common in groups A and B compared with group C. Sensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was more prevalent in groups A and B than in group C. Forced expiratory flow between 25% to 75% (FEF(25%-75%)) was lower in groups A and B than in group C, and methacholine PC20 (provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second) was lowest in group B. Significantly lower FEF(25%-75%) and methacholine PC20 were observed in the patients who had been hospitalized with LRI in early life.
CONCLUSION
Our study shows significant difference in lung function and atopic sensitization in relation to the onset age of wheeze in school-age children and adolescents with asthma, and suggests that early LRI might contribute to the development of asthma in early life.

Keyword

Asthma; Child; Adolescent

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Age of Onset*
Asthma*
Busan
Child*
Daegu
Demography
Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
Forced Expiratory Volume
Gyeonggi-do
Hospitalization
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Lung
Methacholine Chloride
Prevalence
Respiratory Function Tests
Seoul
Smoking
Methacholine Chloride

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Compliance to treatment in three asthma groups. Group A, early onset (age <3 yr); group B, preschool onset (age 3-6 yr); group C, late onset (age ≥6 yr).

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