The Risk Factors for Persistence of Asthma Symptoms from Late Childhood to Early Adult Life: The Effects of Pulmonary Function and Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness

Park, Jong Jin; Kim, Jae Jin; Kang, Im Ju

Abstract

PURPOSE
We performed this study to evaluate the effect of pulmonary function and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) on the persistence of asthma symptoms from late childhood to early adult life.
METHODS
One-hundred thirty-one children with asthma treated at our hospital during the past 10 years were divided into 2 groups according to the persistence of symptoms in early adult life: the persistent and remission groups. Information about symptoms, body mass index, serum ECP, serum IgE and skin test reactivity in late childhood were obtained and prebronchodilator FEV1, FEV1/FVC (expressed as % of predicted) and BHR to methacholine were measured in late childhood and early adult life, and compared the 2 groups.
Results
The persistent group was accounted for 45.8% of the subjects and FEV1, FEV1/ FVC and BHR to methacholine in late childhood were associated with the persistence of symptoms. We found a positive correlation between FEV1 in late childhood and early adult.(r=0.250, P=0.013) Also we found a positive correlation between FEV1/FVC in late childhood and early adult.(r=0.285, P=0.018) BHR and FEV1% of 60% to 79% of late childhood were associated with BHR in early adult.(Odds ratio; 95% confidence interval=3.8; 1.7-8.7, 4.6; 1.0-20.2)
Conclusion
Low pulmonary function and increased BHR in childhood asthma were associated with persistence of symptom, degree of pulmonary function and BHR in early adult life.