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.