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Airway reactivity in parents of infants and young children with recurrent wheeze: a case-control study
F Rusconi1, F Nizardo, I Cerveri
1Department of Paediatrics I and II, University of Milano, Istituti Clinici di Perfezionamento, Italy.
Insights
Parents of young children with recurrent wheeze do not show increased airway hyperresponsiveness. This study found no significant difference in bronchial reactivity between parents and controls, suggesting infection-triggered wheezing in children may not stem from parental airway hyperresponsiveness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Pulmonary Physiology
Background:
- Family members of individuals with asthma often exhibit increased airway reactivity.
- The link between infant recurrent wheeze and bronchial reactivity remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate bronchial reactivity in parents of preschool children experiencing recurrent wheeze.
- To compare parental bronchial reactivity to that of population-based controls.
Main Methods:
- Methacholine challenge testing was performed on parents of 50 preschool children with recurrent wheeze and 200 matched controls.
- Children had early-onset wheezing triggered by infections, with no allergy indicators.
- Exclusion criteria included forced expiratory volume in one second < 80% predicted.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in methacholine reactivity was observed between the parents group and the control group.
- A small number of participants (4 parents, 5 controls) were excluded due to low lung function.
Conclusions:
- Increased bronchial responsiveness was not detected in parents of infants and young children with recurrent, infection-triggered wheeze.
- This finding suggests that parental airway hyperresponsiveness may not be a significant factor in recurrent childhood wheeze linked to infection.
Abstract:
Increased airway reactivity has been found in family members of school age children and adults with asthma. As the relation between recurrent wheeze in infancy and bronchial reactivity is not yet clear, it was decided to test bronchial reactivity to methacholine in both parents of 50 preschool age children with recurrent wheeze and in 200 population based controls matched for sex, age, smoking habits, and atopy. Wheezy children fulfilled the following criteria: first attack of wheezing before the age of 2 years, at least four wheezing episodes triggered by a respiratory infection, negative skin prick tests, and no symptoms related to allergy. Four parents and five controls did not undergo the methacholine challenge because their forced expiratory volume in one second was < 80% of the predicted value. Methacholine reactivity was not significantly different in parents and controls. In summary, an increased bronchial responsiveness was not found in parents of infants and young children with recurrent wheeze triggered by infection.