Journal List > Allergy Asthma Respir Dis > v.2(2) > 1059008

Hwangbo, Kwon, Seo, Kim, Yu, Kim, Kim, Jang, Song, Shim, Hong, and Lee: The effect of atopy and allergic diseases on pulmonary function of Korean adolescents

Abstract

Purpose

Pulmonary function test (PFT) plays a key role in the diagnosis and management of asthma in adolescents. But, it is not clear whether adolescents with asthma have significantly reduced lung function when compared with adolescents without asthma. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of atopy and allergic diseases on pulmonary function and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in Korean adolescents.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was conducted on 647 middle school students (male, 264; female, 383) from Seoul city to determine the prevalence of symptoms and diagnosed allergic diseases. We also performed the PFT, methacholine challenge test, skin prick tests and serum total immunoglobulin E. Current atopic dermatitis was diagnosed by doctor's medical examination.

Results

Female showed higher values of forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) and higher numbers of BHR (PC20 less than 25 mg/dL) compared to male (P<0.01). BHR was more common in atopy group (P<0.01), but PFT was not significant difference between atopy and nonatopy. Mean values for all spirometric parameters for asthmatic adolescents were in the normal range. Adolescents with asthma symptoms had slightly lower FEV1/FVC and forced expiratory flow 25%-75% than that of adolescents with no history of wheeze ever, asthma diagnosis and current asthma, but there was no statistically significance.

Conclusion

The majority of adolescents recruited from the general population who reported having asthma symptoms or other allergic diseases had normal lung function. Sex, atopy, and current atopic dermatitis may affect BHR in Korean adolescents.

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Characteristics of subjects (n=643)
aard-2-108-i001

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%) unless otherwise indicated.

KRW, Korean won; IgE, immunoglobulin E.

Table 2
Allergic diseases and pulmonary function by sex in subjects
aard-2-108-i002

Values are presented as number (%) or mean±standard deviation. Chi-square test.

IgE, immunoglobulin E.

*P-value from Student t-test.

Table 3
Allergic diseases and pulmonary function by atopy in subjects
aard-2-108-i003

Values are presented as number (%) or mean±standard deviation. Chi-square test.

FVC, forced vital capacity; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FEF25%-75%, forced expiratory flow 25%-75%.

*P-value from Student t-test.

Table 4
Effect of allergic diseases on the pulmonary function in adolescents
aard-2-108-i004

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation.

AR, allergic rhinitis; AD, atopic dermatitis.

*Chi-square test. P<0.05.

Notes

This study was supported by a grant of the Korea Healthcare Technology R&D Project, Ministry for Health, Welfare, Republic of Korea (A092076).

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