Asthma Attacks in Children-Challenges and Opportunities

The role of 14-3-3β in acute asthma in children and analysis of the risk factors for asthma exacerbation

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of 14-3-3β in acute asthma exacerbations in children and analyze the risk factors for asthma exacerbations.

METHODS

This study recruited 101 children with acute asthma exacerbations, 101 children with stable asthma, and 65 healthy children. Serum 14-3-3β was compared among the three groups. Factors such as asthma family history, skin prick test, serum-specific IgE test, coinfections, and clinical indicators (FeNO, FEV1, white blood cells, eosinophils, and serum IgE level) were compared between the asthma groups. Risk factors associated with acute asthma exacerbations were identified using multivariate logistic regression models. ROC curve was drawn to determine the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 14-3-3β.

RESULTS

Serum 14-3-3β was significantly greater in the acute asthma group than in the stable asthma and control groups. Serum 14-3-3β was higher in severe acute asthma group than in mild-moderate asthma group. There were no significant differences in serum 14-3-3β levels between stable asthma and control groups (p > .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that serum 14-3-3β level, FeNO, coinfection, and FEV1 z-score significantly increased the odds of acute asthma exacerbations in children. The optimal 14-3-3β cutoff value (39.79 ng/mL), had a sensitivity of 69.3% and specificity of 94.1% for predicting acute asthma exacerbations.

CONCLUSIONS

14-3-3β is elevated in children with acute exacerbations of asthma, and increases with exacerbation severity. 14-3-3β, FeNO, FEV1, and coinfection could be independent risk factors for predicting asthma exacerbations. The optimal 14-3-3β cutoff value for predicting asthma exacerbations was 39.79 ng/mL.

Experiences of young people living with type 1 diabetes in transition to adulthood: The importance of care provider familiarity and support

BACKGROUND

During the developmental transition from childhood to adulthood, young people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are more likely to take less care of their chronic disease. Alongside the developmental transition, young people with T1D also experience an organisational transition in which the care responsibility changes from a family-based approach in paediatric care to an individualised approach in adult care. Little is known from the perspective of the young people about what their interactions with the healthcare providers mean during these transitions.

AIM

The aim of this study is to explore how young people living with T1D experience interactions with their care providers, and what it means for their developmental transition.

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews with 10 respondents aged 18-20 living with T1D who were recruited from a youth outpatient diabetes clinic in Denmark. Recorded audio data were transcribed and analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach.

RESULTS

Young people experience continuity in the relationship with the diabetes nurse from the paediatric clinic and a personal patient-provider relationship with their well-known and new care providers. This creates a feeling of familiarity and contributes to a seamless transition. The young people express that becoming more involved in diabetes treatment increases their willingness to take more responsibility for their own health. They also express that care providers should support them in managing their diabetes and talk about sensitive topics.

CONCLUSION

Continuity in the relationship with the diabetes nurse makes the transition from paediatric to adult care more satisfying and seamless. To support the developmental transition, care providers should gradually involve young people more in diabetes management and be supportive as they become more independent during the developmental transition.

MG53 alleviates airway inflammatory responses by regulating nuclear factor-κB pathway in asthmatic mice

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a common lung disease with increasing incidence and prevalence globally, thereby imposing a substantial global health and economic burden. Recently, studies have shown that Mitsugumin 53 (MG53) exhibits multiple biological functions and plays a protective role in a variety of diseases. However, the role of MG53 in asthma remained unknown; hence, in the present study we aimed to explore the functioning of MG53 in asthma.

METHODS

Using ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide adjuvant, an OVA-induced asthmatic animal model was constructed and administered with MG53. After establishing mice model, inflammatory cell counts and the levels of type 2 inflammatory cytokines were examined and histological staining of lung tissues were performed. The levels of key factors associated with the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway were detected.

RESULTS

Asthmatic mice displayed a remarkable accumulation of white blood cells, neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, and eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, compared to control mice. MG53 treatment lowered the number of these inflammatory cells in asthmatic mice. The level of type 2 cytokines in asthmatic mice was higher than that in control mice, and was lessened by MG53 intervention. In asthmatic mice, airway resistance was elevated, which was reduced by MG53 treatment. In addition, inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus secretion were aggravated in the lung tissues of asthmatic mice, and both were attenuated by MG53 intervention. The levels of phosphorylated p65 and phosphorylated inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase were elevated in asthmatic mice, but were downregulated by MG53 supplement.

CONCLUSION

The aggravated airway inflammation was observed in asthmatic mice; however, MG53 treatment suppressed airway inflammation by targeting the NF-κB pathway.

Residual Cough and Asthma-like Symptoms Post-COVID-19 in Children

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide and is characterized by different presentations ranging from asymptomatic to severe pneumonia. COVID-19 affects all age groups, including pediatric patients. We observed numerous children complaining of a cough post-COVID-19, even if it was trivial. The most reported persistent symptoms after recovery from COVID-19 were insomnia, coughing, fatigue, dyspnea, loss of taste and/or smell, and headache. To date, residual cough post-COVID-19 has been reported in pediatrics and adolescents.

METHOD

we conducted a retrospective study, with a self-administered questionnaire by the patient or caregiver, 12 months post-COVID-19-infection.

RESULT

A total of 94.8% of patients were Saudi citizens and were mainly from the southern region of Saudi Arabia (50.0%). Mothers (64.4%) submitted most of the results. The ages were as follows: 6-14 years (51.0%), 3-5 years (32.3%), and younger than 2 years of age (only 16.7%). Females accounted for 41.7% of those studied. Nearly half of the patients (48.5%) had had a previous COVID-19 infection in 2022, with only 2.1% infected in 2019. Only 27/194 (13.9%) patients required hospital admission, and 7 of them (4.2%) required intensive care treatment. A total of 179 (92.2%) patients still reported persistent symptoms 4 weeks post-COVID-19-infection. A cough was reported in 69.8% of patients, followed by cough and wheezing in 12.3%. The cough was described as dry in 78.0% and nocturnal in 54.1%, while 42.5% did not notice any diurnal variation. For those reporting residual cough, 39.3% found that it affected school attendance and daily activities, 31.1% reported associated chest pain, 51.9% associated it with wheezing, and 27.1% associated it with shortness of breath. For 54.4%, the residual cough lasted less than one month, while 31.4% reported a 1-2 month duration. Only 1.0% had a duration of cough of more than 3 months. For cough relief, 28.2% used bronchodilators, 19.9% used cough syrup, 16.6% used a combination of bronchodilators and steroid inhalers, and 1.7% used antibiotics. Surprisingly, 33% attempted herbal remedies for cough relief. Sesame oil was used the most (40.0%), followed by a mixture of olive oil and sesame oil (25.0%), and 21.7% used male frankincense. The majority (78.4%) sought medical advice for their post-infection cough, either from general pediatricians (39.5%) or via specialist pediatric pulmonology consultations (30.9%). A total of 11.0% with a residual cough reported having pets at home, while 27.2% reported secondhand smoke exposure in the household. Before infection with COVID-19, only 32.6% were diagnosed with asthma, while 68.2% reported a diagnosis of atopic skin.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a high prevalence of residual cough post-COVID-19, extended for a minimum of two months, and the characteristics of the cough were very similar to those of asthmatic patients. There was still a high prevalence of using cough syrup and herbal remedies, especially olive oil, sesame oil, and male frankincense. A residual cough adversely affected school attendance in daily activities, and there was a high prevalence of other siblings in the family being affected. The study showed that a minority of patients were seen by the pulmonologist; luckily, long COVID was rare in our study, and so further studies are highly needed to confirm the association with asthma. More educational programs are highly needed regarding herbal remedies and cough syrup.

Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the Adolescent Asthma Self-Efficacy Questionnaire

Background

Self-efficacy was considered as a promising target for the self-management of symptoms for adolescents with asthma. The measurement of self-efficacy in adolescents with asthma requires effective self-report tools, which have not been met with at present. So, the aim of this study was to cross-culturally validate the Adolescent Asthma Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AASEQ).

Methods

As many as 408 adolescents with asthma were invited to take up the psychometric properties test between July 2021 and June 2022. We conducted the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to determine the structure of the AASEQ. The relationship between the AASEQ and General Self-Efficacy Scale was tested to evaluate the construct validity. The reliability was evaluated by retest reliability, internal consistency, and interfactor correlation.

Results

The results of the present study showed that the confirmatory factor analysis indicated a significantly good fit for a four-factor model, which explained 62.697% of the total variance. The fit indices of the four-factor model were acceptable, and the standardized factor loading ranged from 0.631 to 0.880. The C-AASEQ showed an acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.810-0.927) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.64-0.89). Content validity index at the scale level was 0.96, and content validity index at the item level was 0.86 to 1.

Conclusion

The Chinese version of Adolescent Asthma Self-Efficacy Questionnaire showed consistently acceptable positive psychometric properties and can be used as an instrument to assess the self-efficacy of adolescents with asthma in China, as corroborated in the present study.

Challenges in the Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Pediatric Asthma

Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in pediatric practice, with increasing prevalence hampered by poor socioeconomic impacts, leading to major public health issues. Considered as a complex heterogeneous syndrome, not a single disease, the management of the disease is a real challenge, impacting medical staff, patients and caregivers. Over the decades, a significant number of diagnostic and treatment regimen have been developed to achieve good standards, sustaining balanced control of the disease. This paper attempts a review on the establishment of new trends in the management of bronchial asthma in the pediatric age group.