Search

Background: Currently, there are no reliable clinical tools available for predicting asthma in pre–school‐aged children with recurrent wheezing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of serum periostin, YKL‐40, and osteopontin biomarkers in wheezy pre–school‐aged children for predicting the development of asthma in school ages. Methods: The study was prospectively conducted between 2011 and 2017. The clinical features of the pre–school‐aged children with recurrent wheezing and the levels of serum periostin, YKL‐40, and osteopontin were measured. The same participants were reevaluated in school‐age period, and participants with asthma were identified. Relative risk (RR) for the development of asthma was analyzed. Results: Of the 197 pre–school‐aged children with recurrent wheezing who were reevaluated in school‐age years, 32% of them had asthma. Serum periostin, YKL‐40, and osteopontin levels at admission could not predict participants who would have asthma symptoms in school‐age years. The RR for continuing of asthma symptoms was higher in participants who had their first wheezing episode before 1 year of age, preterm birth, cesarean section delivery, prenatal smoking exposure, multi‐trigger wheezing, parental asthma, modified asthma predictive index positivity, prophylactic vitamin D intake ≤ 12 months, breastfeeding time ≤ 12 month, and aeroallergen sensitivity [RR (95% CI) and P value: 2.813 (1.299‐6.091), 0.002; 1.972 (1.274‐3.052), 0.009; 1.929 (1.195‐3.114), 0.004; 2.232 (1.463‐3.406), <0.001; 3.152 (1.949‐5.097), <0.001; 1.730 (1.144‐2.615), 0.016; 2.427 (1.559‐3.777), <0.001; 2.955 (1.558‐5.604), <0.001; 1.767 (1.084‐2.881), 0.016; 0.765 (0.556‐1.053), 0.016; respectively]. Conclusion: Results have shown that clinical features were more valuable than biomarkers in predicting having asthma in school‐age years in participants who had recurrent wheezing in pre–school‐age period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics of Ag-doped and undoped lithium tetraborate (Li2B4O7, LTB) materials, grown using the Czochralski method, were reported. The TL properties of LTB:Ag, such as glow curve structure, dose response, fading and reproducibility, were investigated. The glow curve of the Li2B4O7:Ag single crystal consists of four peaks located at approximately 75, 130, 190 and 275°C; in undoped LTB, the single crystal shows a broad glow curve with peaks at 65, 90, 125, 160 and 190°C using a heating rate of 5°C/s in the 50-350°C temperature region. The high temperature peak of Ag-doped sample at 275°C has a nonlinear dose response within the range from 33 mGy to 9 Gy. There is a linear response in the range of 33-800 mGy; after which, a sublinear region appears up to 9 Gy for Ag-doped LTB single crystal. For undoped single crystal, the dose response is supralinear for low doses and linear for the region between 1 and 9 Gy. The thermal fading ratio of the undoped material is almost 60% for the high temperature peak after 7 days. Ag-doped LTB single crystal exhibits different behaviour over a period of 7 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Skin testing has a limited role in the diagnosis of non-immediate beta-lactam hypersensitivity in children. The aim of this study was to report the results of oral provocation tests performed without skin tests in children with non-immediate mild cutaneous reactions without systemic symptoms caused by beta-lactam antibiotics. Methods Oral provocation tests with suspected antibiotics were performed to patients with non-immediate mild cutaneous reactions without systemic symptoms caused by beta-lactam antibiotics. Skin tests were not performed before provocation tests. A total of five doses were administered with half-an-hour intervals in increasing doses. Provocation was continued for 5 days. Results A total of 119 patients with a median age of 4.3 ( IQR: 2-7.5) years, of whom 58% were males, were included in the study. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was the most frequently responsible agent in 87 (73.1%) patients, and most common type of rash was maculopapular in 74 (62.2%) patients. Four patients (3.4%) had an urticarial reaction during the provocation test. Conclusion We did not experience any severe reactions during oral provocation test without previous skin tests performed to children with non-immediate mild cutaneous reactions without systemic symptoms. Omitting skin tests before oral provocation test in this group of children can help decreasing the burden of allergy clinics and alleviating the discomfort of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The negative predictive value of the drug provocation test is important for both the patient and the physician. However, in children, this predictive value is unresolved. Methods The study included patients who had drug provocation test with a suspected drug and was diagnosed as 'not allergic to the drug'. Three months after allergy workup, the patients were contacted and asked for reexposure to the tested drug. Patients who have reported reactions during reexposure were reevaluated with skin tests and drug provocation. Results During the study period, 217 provocations were performed to 203 patients. Of these, 163 patients (80.3%) with 175 negative drug provocation tests could be contacted. Ninety-one (52%) of the 175 cases reported to use the tested drug again, and 11 (12%) of these cases declared that they had a new reaction. Two of the eleven cases refused reevaluation. Nine cases were evaluated by drug allergy workup. Two of the nine cases were classified as allergic after retests. Collectively, the negative predictive value was 95.6% (87 of 91 cases) for all drug challenges. Conclusions The negative predictive value of the drug provocation test is abundant in children; however, negative drug provocation tests do not necessarily predict tolerance for the drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although food allergy is an important health problem in Western countries, the prevalence varies among geographic regions. There is limited data on the prevalence of food allergy especially for adolescent age group, and the data from Turkey and Mediterranean region are even scarce. Methods The study is a cross-sectional survey including a questionnaire followed by phone survey with families that have reported food allergy and clinical evaluation of children having a history compatible with food allergy after phone survey. The sample number of students has been calculated 9096 of a total of 210.000 students at the second stage (6th, 7th, and 8th grades) of state elementary schools in the metropolitan counties of Ankara province with the assumption of food allergy prevalence (P) = 1% and a δ value = 0.2 (α < 0.05, β = 0.8). Results Of 11,233 questionnaires distributed at 34 schools, 10,096 (89.4%) have been returned. The number of reported food allergy was 1139 (11.2%), and it was reduced to 133 (1.3%) after phone survey. After clinical evaluation by skin test, specific Ig E and double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge ( DBPCFC), proven Ig E-mediated food allergy was determined in 15 (0.15%) children. The foods most commonly resulting food allergy were peanut 0.05% and treenuts 0.05%. Conclusion The prevalence of food allergy among adolescent age group has been confirmed to be comparatively low in Turkey. Peanuts and treenuts were determined to be the most common causes of Ig E-mediated food allergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cite this article: Erkoçoğlu M, Akan A, Civelek E, Kan R, Azkur D, Kocabaş CN. Consistency of GINA criteria and childhood asthma control test on the determination of asthma control. Pediatric Allergy Immunology 2012: 23: 34-39. Abstract Background: Reliable assessment of asthma control is essential for effective treatment. Although several methods are used to assess asthma control, it is still suboptimal all over the world. Childhood asthma control test (C-ACT) is a widely used complementary test in determining the level of asthma control in conjunction with GINA guidelines. Objective: To evaluate the consistency between the childhood asthma control test (C-ACT) and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline-based asthma control measure in children with asthma and, if present, to investigate the reasons for any discrepancy. Methods: Patients and their caregivers filled a C-ACT and a socioeconomic status survey before the physician visit. Asthma control level was also assessed according to GINA criteria by a pediatric allergist who was blinded to C-ACT scores. Results: The mean age of the total 314 patients was 9.0 ± 1.9 yr, ranging between 4.3 and 11.8 yr, of whom 56.1% (n = 176) were men. Regarding the study group, 54.8% of patients were controlled according to GINA, and 51.0% of patients were controlled according to C-ACT (score ≥20). There was inconsistency between GINA and C-ACT in 26.7% (84/314) of the study group when the patients were evaluated individually (κ = 0.464). There was not any significant variable that could predict the consistency and inconsistency between these methods. Conclusion: Consistency between GINA and C-ACT is not as to be expected. Using only one method for determining the control level of asthma does not seem to be reliable and accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents case studies of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) in exclusively breastfed infants where symptoms happened after maternal ingestion of cow's milk. The first patient, a 15-day-old boy reporting diarrhea, intermittent vomiting and fever, who was admitted to neonatal intensive care unit having a pre-diagnosis of dehydration and sepsis. The second patient had been breastfed since the neonatal period with complaints of failure to bloody diarrhea.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article about a preliminary study of asthmatic children treated with educational drama.