A Prospective, Open Label, Single-center Study of the Long-term Prognosis of Moderate to Severe Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in Asthmatic Preschool Children.
A Prospective, Open Label, Single-center Study of the Long-term Prognosis of Moderate to Severe Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in Asthmatic Preschool Children.
The aim of investigator´s clinical trial is to investigate 52 patients aged three to five years with viral-induced asthma and 52 patients aged three to five years with allergic asthma. Over a time-span of 5 years the investigators will explore lung function and bronchial responsiveness. The investigators plan to evaluate long-term clinical history of moderate to severe bronchial hyperresponsiveness in preschool children with asthma. Therefore factors like atopy in children, parental atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness will be explored.
A positive family history with prevalence of atopy, eczema, wheezing are well-known factors predicting asthma. Caudri et al. found more important predictors like perinatal transmission, parental use of inhalative medications and wheezing/dyspnea out of viral infections(5). Measurement of BHR in children was in most studies a second outcome parameter.
Four visits will be performed, baseline and after 1, 3, and 5 years. At visit 1 the investigators will characterize all patients by a ISAAC survey. At each visit in children a methacholine challenge, a skin Prick test, eNO, RAST and total IgE will be performed. At visit 3 and 4 sputum will be induced. In parents only at the first visit a methacholine challenge will be performed. A genetic identification of ADAM33 gene from EDTA blood shall be provided. ADAMs are multidomain proteins with a metalloprotease domain, associated with airway remodelling. Visits should be kept in a time interval without asthma therapy and respiratory infection.
To examine the feasibility of methacholine challenges in preschool children data measured in 2006 will be analysed.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria: