Subjects and Protocol
A total of 620 fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students (10–12
years old) who participated in the Seongnam Atopy Project (SAP) 2017
cohort were enrolled. This study was sponsored by the Seongnam City
Government for the prevention and education of allergic diseases in
Korean children and was conducted between January 2017 and October
2017.12
Demographic data were collected, and questionnaires completed by the
parents were used to record symptoms of the children during the previous
12 months (wheezing, nasal symptoms, and eczema), based on the
International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)
questionnaire.13. Urine samples were collected in
sterile cups and stored at −70°C for up to 3 months before analysis.
Blood samples were stored at −70°C until determination of the levels of
serum periostin, serum YKL-40, and total and allergen-specific
immunoglobulin (Ig) E. FeNO levels were measured by a physician and
impulse oscillometry (IOS) was performed by a well-trained technician.
The study protocol was approved by the appropriate Institutional Review
Board of CHA University (2017-04-049), and written informed consent
documents were obtained from all parents or guardians of participating
children.