1 - Immunoallergy Department, Dona Estefânia Hospital, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central - Lisbon (Portugal).
2 - CEDOC, Integrated Pathophysiological Mechanisms Research Group, Nova Medical School - Lisbon (Portugal).
- European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress 2019, apresentação sob a forma de poster na ERS 2019, Madrid, 28 de Setembro a 2 de Outubro de 2019.
Background: Home dampness can be a risk factor for airway inflammation and severe asthma. EBC pH measure acidification and has been used as biomarker of airways inflammation. However, conflicting results were found while evaluating EBC pH in non-controlled asthmatic preschool children. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association among home dampness, EBC pH and asthma control in preschool children.
Material and methods: Children 3-5 years old with asthma and healthy controls were recruited. A questionnaire was applied to assess home dampness, controlled medication taken, and level of asthma control (GINA (Global INitiative for Asthma) criteria). Lung function was evaluated through spirometry.
Results: We included 70 children, 14 controls, 56 asthmatic, and 32 of 56 had non-controlled asthma (57.1%). Most of asthmatic was taking preventive medication (71.4%). No significant differences were found between EBC pH of asthmatic children and controls, neither between controlled and uncontrolled asthmatic children. EBC pH of children whose parents reported actual home dampness was significant lower (7.99 (7.78-8.11)) than those whose parents had not reported it (8.22 (8.01-8.34) (p=0.001)). FEV1 under 80% of the predicted value was not associated with a lower EBC pH.
Conclusion: Based on our results, exposure to dampness seems to increase airways acidification in asthmatic and healthy children. Permission to maintain controller medication of asthma may have introduced a bias by reducing airway inflammation and attenuate differences regarding the control group. More studies are needed to confirm these interesting findings.
Palavras Chave: Asthma, Children, Biomarkers.