Subjects and Methods:
This was a cross-sectional case-control study with a total 100 children attending department of pediatrics in the University Hospitals of Benha during the period from November 2018 to December 2019. The study gained the approval of Benha University’s local ethical committee. After explanation of the study, informed written consent was obtained from the parents or caregivers of enrolled children and the study was done according to principles of Helsinki Declaration.10 Subjects were divided into two groups:
I – Patients group: 70 stable asthmatic children aged from 6-17 years who were diagnosed and graded by severity of asthma and control standard according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Guidelines1 into: mild, moderate and severe persistent bronchial asthma. Asthmatic children were further subdivided according to level of control into controlled and partially to uncontrolled asthma. Exclusion criteria included : use of nasal or systemic steroids within the last 30 days, nasal malformations or tumors, parasitic infestation, acute infectious disease and chronic illness involving congenital heart or lung disease, liver and kidney diseases. The usage of inhaled corticosteroid was not interrupted for this study.
2- Control group included 30 apparently healthy non-atopic, age and sex matched children, without personal, history of asthma in family or other allergic conditions.