The prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema among school-aged children in Qatar: A Global Asthma Network Study

Risk factors and associations with atopic diseases in the pediatric population in Qatar

Introduction

Asthma is a common noncommunicable disease with public health implications due to the rising number of cases among the pediatric population in Qatar.

Aim

The objective of the current study is to explore possible risk factors and associations in relation to pediatric asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema cases in Qatar.

Methods

Using the Global Asthma Network questionnaires, this study sampled 2646 children, of which 1210 were aged 6-7 years and 1436 were aged 13-14 years in addition to 3831 adult parents or guardians. The STROBE guidelines were used to ensure the reporting of this cross-sectional study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to produce the odds ratio for the various risk factors and associated factors, respectively. Multiple associations and risk factors for each of the three diseases were reported.

Results

Based on the outcome of a multivariate logistic regression, being born in Qatar was the only risk factor present across all three diseases. Being male, wheezing ever, wheezing after exercise, and having eczema were other risk factors reported for asthma. Being in the older age group, wheezing ever, and having hay fever were other risk factors reported for allergic rhinitis.

Conclusion

The study concluded that further evaluation into associated and risk factors for asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema is warranted in the future.

Prevalence of asthma among children and adolescents in WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region: a meta-analysis of over 0.5 million participants

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the epidemiology of asthma among children and adolescents in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

METHODS

Exhaustive searches were conducted across databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge Core Collection, Embase, and Google Scholar. The selection criteria included studies reporting asthma prevalence in individuals aged 0 to 19 years, using validated questionnaires. Data were extracted and synthesized using the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of asthma in Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) countries, among the 514,468 children and adolescents included in this meta-analysis, was 10.61%, synthesized from 95 studies. Among the countries studied, Qatar exhibited the highest prevalence at 16.69%, followed by Saudi Arabia at 16.57%, Iraq at 16.22%, Oman at 15.20%, and Afghanistan at 14.90%. Adolescents showed a slightly higher prevalence of asthma at 10.10% compared to children at 9.70%. Boys exhibited a higher prevalence at 11.48% compared to girls at 9.75%. Urban areas demonstrated a higher prevalence at 11.27% than rural areas at 8.29%.

CONCLUSION

Efforts to reduce asthma prevalence in Arab countries and address underdiagnosis in African nations within the EMRO are crucial. Targeted interventions should focus on addressing environmental triggers and improving access to healthcare. Enhanced diagnostic capabilities and healthcare infrastructure are necessary in African countries. Collaborative action is essential to alleviate the asthma burden and promote respiratory health across the EMRO region.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Childhood Asthma in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia

Background

The prevalence of asthma among children has been on the rise worldwide, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Our study was conducted to determine the prevalence of asthma and its related risk factors among school-age children in the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Method

The study was a cross-sectional prospective study that used Phase I ISAAC protocol and was conducted from March to June 2023. The sample size was calculated to be 1600 among school-age children in the Jazan Region Saudi Arabia. This study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0, Descriptive statistics were calculated for study variables, and appropriate tests of significance were performed to determine statistical significance.

Results

The total study population was 1368 the majority of them, 96.6% (n=1321), were Saudi nationals, and most of them lived in rural areas (70.6%, n=966). The prevalence of life-long wheezing, wheezing in the last 12 months, and exercise-induced wheezing was 28.0%, 29.2%, and 30.9%, respectively. Risk factors such as having indoor plants, having a pet, and a smoker in the household were reported by 48.0%, 24.6%, and 36.4% of participants, respectively. Living near an industrial area was determined as a risk factor in 98 (7.2%) of the children. Asthma-related symptoms were strongly correlated with all risk factors based on the chi-square test, and some risk factors based on multivariate linear regression.

Conclusion

The prevalence of asthma among children in the Jazan Region is higher than previously reported, and the reported risk factors are significantly correlated with symptoms of asthma.

Sphingolipids in Childhood Asthma and Obesity (SOAP Study): A Protocol of a Cross-Sectional Study

Asthma and obesity are two of the most common chronic conditions in children and adolescents. There is increasing evidence that sphingolipid metabolism is altered in childhood asthma and is linked to airway hyperreactivity. Dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism is also reported in obesity. However, the functional link between sphingolipid metabolism, asthma, and obesity is not completely understood. This paper describes the protocol of an ongoing study on sphingolipids that aims to examine the pathophysiology of sphingolipids in childhood asthma and obesity. In addition, this study aims to explore the novel biomarkers through a comprehensive multi-omics approach including genomics, genome-wide DNA methylation, RNA-Seq, microRNA (miRNA) profiling, lipidomics, metabolomics, and cytokine profiling. This is a cross-sectional study aiming to recruit 440 children from different groups: children with asthma and normal weight (n = 100), asthma with overweight or obesity (n = 100), overweight or obesity (n = 100), normal weight (n = 70), and siblings of asthmatic children with normal weight, overweight, or obesity (n = 70). These participants will be recruited from the pediatric pulmonology, pediatric endocrinology, and general pediatric outpatient clinics at Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar. Information will be obtained from self-reported questionnaires on asthma, quality of life, food frequency (FFQ), and a 3-day food diary that are completed by the children and their parents. Clinical measurements will include anthropometry, blood pressure, biochemistry, bioelectrical impedance, and pulmonary function tests. Blood samples will be obtained for sphingolipid analysis, serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) assay, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), genome-wide DNA methylation study, RNA-Seq, miRNA profiling, metabolomics, lipidomics, and cytokine analysis. Group comparisons of continuous outcome variables will be carried out by a one-way analysis of variance or the Kruskal-Wallis test using an appropriate pairwise multiple comparison test. The chi-squared test or a Fisher's exact test will be used to test the associations between categorical variables. Finally, multivariate analysis will be carried out to integrate the clinical data with multi-omics data. This study will help us to understand the role of dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism in obesity and asthma. In addition, the multi-omics data from the study will help to identify novel genetic and epigenetic signatures, inflammatory markers, and mechanistic pathways that link asthma and obesity in children. Furthermore, the integration of clinical and multi-omics data will help us to uncover the potential interactions between these diseases and to offer a new paradigm for the treatment of pediatric obesity-associated asthma.

Pediatric pulmonology 2022 year in review: Asthma

In 2022, new research studies influenced the field of pediatric asthma with improvements in diagnosis and evaluation; new treatment options including biologic therapies; changes in risk factors for asthma; and increased discussion about the impact of social determinants of health on asthma. Additionally, three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to see the impact of SARS-CoV-2 virus on pediatric asthma care. In this review article, we summarize the significant findings from publications in Pediatric Pulmonology and other relevant journals from the last year. We hope this review will provide new insight within the field of pediatric asthma, as well as guidance for implementation into clinical practice.

Associations between HLA class II alleles and IgE sensitization to allergens in the Qatar Biobank cohort

Background

Allergic disorders are the consequence of IgE sensitization to allergens. Population studies have shown that certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles are associated with increased or decreased risk of developing allergy.

Objective

We aimed to characterize the relationship between HLA class II allelic diversity and IgE sensitization in an understudied Arab population.

Methods

We explored associations between IgE sensitization to 7 allergen mixes and mesquite (comprising 41 food or aeroallergens) and 45 common classical HLA class II alleles in a well-defined cohort of 797 individuals representing the general adult population of Qatari nationals and long-term residents. To do so, we performed HLA calling from whole genome sequencing data at 2-field resolution using 2 independent algorithms. We then applied 3 different regression models to assess either each allergen mix independently, in the context of IgE sensitization to other allergens tested, or polysensitization.

Results

More than half (n = 447) of the study participants showed IgE sensitization to at least 1 allergen, most of them (n = 400) to aeroallergens (Phadiatop). We identified statistically significant negative and positive associations with 24 HLA class II alleles. These have been reported to confer risk or protection from variety of diseases; however, only a few have previously been associated with allergy in other populations.

Conclusions

Our study reveals several new risk and protective genetic markers for allergen-specific IgE sensitization. This is a first and essential step toward a better understanding of the origins of allergic diseases in this understudied population.