TY - JOUR
T1 - Upper and lower airway patency are associated in young children
AU - Chawes, Bo Lund Krogsgaard
AU - Kreiner-Møller, Eskil
AU - Bisgaard, Hans
PY - 2010/6/1
Y1 - 2010/6/1
N2 - Background: Although allergic rhinitis and asthma frequently coexist, the nature of this association is poorly understood. Therefore, we examined whether upper and lower airway patency are associated. Methods: We investigated 221 6-year-old children from the Copenhagen Prospective Study on Asthma in Childhood birth cohort, assessing upper airway patency by acoustic rhinometry before and after α-agonist, and lower airway patency by spirometry before and after β2-agonist. Furthermore, we measured blood eosinophil count, nasal eosinophilia, total IgE, and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide. Associations were investigated by generalized linear models. Results: Decongested nasal airway patency and post-β2 FEV1 were significantly associated (P = .007). The association remained significant after adjustments for sex, body size, FVC, and atopic diseases (β-coefficient 2.85 cm3; 95% CI, 0.42 to 5.29; P = .02). Baseline values of upper and lower airway patency were also significantly associated (β-coefficient 0.89 cm3; 95% CI, 0.26-1.51; P =.01). In addition, blood eosinophil count and nasal eosinophilia were inversely associated with decongested nasal airway patency, β-coefficient-0.42 cm3 (95% CI, -0.77 to -0.07; P = .02) and β-coefficient -0.47 cm3 (95% CI, -0.89 to -0.05; P = .03), respectively. Conclusions: We found a strong and consistent association between upper and lower airway patency. This may be due to a common pathology, as suggested by the inverse association between decongested nasal airway patency, blood eosinophil count, and nasal eosinophilia. Alternatively, the association between upper and lower airway patency might reflect a physiologic background for the common comorbidity.
AB - Background: Although allergic rhinitis and asthma frequently coexist, the nature of this association is poorly understood. Therefore, we examined whether upper and lower airway patency are associated. Methods: We investigated 221 6-year-old children from the Copenhagen Prospective Study on Asthma in Childhood birth cohort, assessing upper airway patency by acoustic rhinometry before and after α-agonist, and lower airway patency by spirometry before and after β2-agonist. Furthermore, we measured blood eosinophil count, nasal eosinophilia, total IgE, and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide. Associations were investigated by generalized linear models. Results: Decongested nasal airway patency and post-β2 FEV1 were significantly associated (P = .007). The association remained significant after adjustments for sex, body size, FVC, and atopic diseases (β-coefficient 2.85 cm3; 95% CI, 0.42 to 5.29; P = .02). Baseline values of upper and lower airway patency were also significantly associated (β-coefficient 0.89 cm3; 95% CI, 0.26-1.51; P =.01). In addition, blood eosinophil count and nasal eosinophilia were inversely associated with decongested nasal airway patency, β-coefficient-0.42 cm3 (95% CI, -0.77 to -0.07; P = .02) and β-coefficient -0.47 cm3 (95% CI, -0.89 to -0.05; P = .03), respectively. Conclusions: We found a strong and consistent association between upper and lower airway patency. This may be due to a common pathology, as suggested by the inverse association between decongested nasal airway patency, blood eosinophil count, and nasal eosinophilia. Alternatively, the association between upper and lower airway patency might reflect a physiologic background for the common comorbidity.
U2 - 10.1378/chest.09-2601
DO - 10.1378/chest.09-2601
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0012-3692
VL - 137
SP - 1332
EP - 1337
JO - Chest
JF - Chest
IS - 6
ER -