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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
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Elevated inflammatory markers at preschool age precede persistent wheezing at school age

Kim D G van de Kant1, Maria A Jansen, Ester M M Klaassen

  • 1Department of Paediatric Pulmonology, School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands. kim.vande.kant@mumc.nl

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology : Official Publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
|December 24, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Preschool children with persistent wheeze show elevated airway inflammation markers. These findings suggest early detection of asthma risk in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Immunology
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Wheezing in preschool children is a heterogeneous symptom, making it difficult to predict persistence or development into asthma.
  • Early identification of children at risk for persistent wheezing is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between preschool inflammatory markers in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and pre/post-bronchodilator interrupter resistance (Rint) with school-age wheezing phenotypes.
  • To identify early indicators of persistent wheezing in preschool children.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 230 children from the Asthma DEtection and Monitoring (ADEM) study.
  • Assessment of pre- and post-bronchodilator Rint and measurement of EBC inflammatory markers (IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, sICAM) at preschool age.
  • Classification of children into never, early-transient, or persistent wheezing phenotypes at 5 years of age based on longitudinal data.

Main Results:

  • Persistent wheezers exhibited elevated levels of all measured interleukins at preschool age compared to never wheezers (p < 0.05).
  • No significant differences in EBC markers were observed between persistent and transient wheezers.
  • Interrupter resistance (Rint) did not show marked differences across the wheezing phenotypes.

Conclusions:

  • Children with persistent wheeze at age 5 already demonstrate elevated exhaled inflammatory markers in preschool.
  • These findings indicate augmented airway inflammation in preschool children who develop persistent wheezing.
  • Early inflammatory markers in EBC may serve as potential biomarkers for predicting persistent wheezing phenotypes.
Abstract

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