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Interrupter resistance and wheezing phenotypes at 4 years of age

Jessica E Brussee1, Henriëtte A Smit, Laurens P Koopman

  • 1Center for Prevention and Health Services Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
|November 5, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Measuring interrupter resistance helps identify children at high risk for persistent asthma. Higher resistance values in young children indicate a greater likelihood of developing persistent wheezing, aiding early asthma diagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Allergy and Immunology

Background:

  • Distinguishing between transient respiratory symptoms and early asthma in young children is challenging.
  • Early identification of children at high risk for persistent asthma is crucial for timely intervention.
  • Interrupter resistance measurement is a potential tool for assessing respiratory mechanics in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare interrupter resistance values across different wheezing phenotypes in 4-year-old children.
  • To investigate the utility of interrupter resistance in identifying children with persistent wheeze.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective birth cohort study (Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy) involving over 4,000 children.
  • Analysis of interrupter resistance and wheezing phenotype data from 838 children at 4 years of age.
  • Comparison of mean interrupter resistance values across never, early transient, late-onset, and persistent wheezing phenotypes.

Main Results:

  • Mean interrupter resistance values varied by wheezing phenotype.
  • Children with persistent wheeze exhibited significantly higher interrupter resistance values (1.08 kPa.L(-1).second) compared to those with never (0.95) and early transient (0.95) wheeze.
  • These findings were consistent in children of both atopic and nonatopic mothers.

Conclusions:

  • Higher interrupter resistance values are associated with the persistent wheezing phenotype in young children.
  • Interrupter resistance measurement may serve as a valuable biomarker for identifying children at risk of developing persistent asthma.
  • This finding supports the use of interrupter resistance in early asthma risk assessment in pediatric populations.

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