Asthma Characteristics of School Aged Children in Different Asthma Phenotypes

Abstract

Background:

Asthma is a disease of the airways with different phenotypes in terms of origin, clinical presentation and response to treatment. Knowledge of these phenotypes is important in pediatrics, as it guides and optimizes management. The aim of this study was to study the asthma characteristics in asthma phenotypes of school-aged children.

Patients and methods:

This were a cross-sectional study, conducted in the Center of Pediatric Pulmonology/ Karbala teaching hospital for children on 80 asthmatic children (aged between 5 and 17 years) and they were classified into four phenotypes: allergic, eosinophilic, mixed allergic and eosinophilic (MAAE), and non-allergic non-eosinophilic (NANE). Demographic variables, clinical characteristics, and treatment details were also collected.

Results:

MAAE (34%) and allergic (32%) were the most frequent phenotypes. In all phenotypes, there was a male dominance and there was not difference of BMI and residence between them. Only 26% of asthma was well controlled, 38% uncontrolled and 36% partially controlled. The prevalence of severe asthma was significantly higher among those in the MAAE group (p-value< 0.001). There is a significant relationship between family history and allergic phenotype (p-value= 0.02).  

Conclusion:

The findings emphasizes that there is a diversity of asthma phenotypes in school-aged children, and the allergic and the mixed allergic and eosinophilic phenotypes predominate. Most children had moderate asthma, but control was often poor with the allergic and mixed allergic and eosinophilic groups. Furthermore, allergic phenotype had a strong family history association in comparison to another phenotype.