Abstract
Background: Risk factors for childhood asthma have not been stratified according to asthma phenotype.
Objectives: To investigate risk factors at the first wheeze for current atopic and non-atopic asthma at age 7 years.
Methods: A cohort of 64 children hospitalized for their first wheezy episode was followed-up for 7 years. The primary outcomes were current atopic and non-atopic asthma at age 7 years. Risk factors were analyzed post hoc, including sensitization (allergen specific IgE > 0.35 kU/l for common allergens), comprehensive viral aetiology and other known asthma risk factors. Logistic regression was used in statistics.
Results: At study entry, the median age of the subjects was 12 months (range 3-35), 16% were sensitized and 92% were virus-positive. The overall univariable risk factors for current asthma at age 7 years were allergic rhinitis by 7 yrs (odds ratio 4.7; 95% CI 1.1-19; P = .033) and sensitization at study entry (5.0; 0.97-26; P = .054, respectively). The univariable risk factors for current atopic asthma (n=11) included rhinovirus aetiology (7.4; 1.7-32; P = .007) and sensitization at study entry(68; 9.8-472; P < .001).No risk factors were identified for non-atopic asthma (n=21).
Conclusions: Our data suggest that rhinovirus etiology of the first wheeze in hospitalized children is a significant risk factor for current atopic but not non-atopic asthma at age 7 years. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT 00494624).
- © 2014 ERS