In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationship that levels of vitamin D had with eosinophil counts and IgE levels in 26 children with asthma (6-12 years of age) in the city of Londrina, Brazil. Vitamin D levels were found to correlate significantly, albeit moderately, with age (r = −0.51) and eosinophilia (r = −0.49), although not with IgE levels (r = −0.12). When we stratified the sample into two groups by the median vitamin D level (< or ≥ 24 ng/mL), we found that those in the < 24 ng/mL group were older, had higher eosinophil counts, and had higher IgE levels. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show an association between low levels of vitamin D and more pronounced eosinophilia in children with asthma in Brazil.

Keywords: Vitamin D; Asthma; Eosinophils; Eosinophilia; Child.

Objective: To determine whether serum total IgE levels and total eosinophil counts have any relationship with the response to routine pharmacological treatment in patients with acute asthma. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 162 patients with acute asthma. Serum total IgE levels, peripheral blood cell counts and eosinophil counts were determined. The treatment was adjusted for each patient according to the severity of asthma. Spirometry was performed at baseline and two weeks after the treatment. The patients were divided into two groups: high IgE (≥100 IU/mL) and low IgE (<100 IU/mL). We compared the two groups in terms of the relationships between baseline values and final values (percentage change) for the following parameters: FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75%, peripheral white blood cell counts and eosinophil counts. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups regarding the percentage changes of the studied parameters. Nor were there significant differences between the groups regarding FEV1, FVC, and FEF25-75% (% of the predicted values) at baseline. Conclusions: On the basis of these findings, we conclude that serum total IgE levels, peripheral white blood cell counts and eosinophil counts cannot predict the response to the pharmacological treatment of patients with acute asthma.

Keywords: Asthma/drug therapy; Eosinophils; Immunoglobulin E

Objective: To evaluate the association between asthma prevalence and serum levels of vitamin D in Brazilian adolescents. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, school-based study involving adolescents between 12-17 years of age from four large Brazilian cities located at different latitudes (Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Porto Alegre). Information on asthma diagnosis, lifestyle, and sociodemographic characteristics was collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. Serum concentrations of calcifediol were dichotomized as sufficient (= 20 ng/mL) or insufficient/deficient (< 20 ng/mL) levels. Bivariate analyses were carried out between vitamin D levels and prevalence of active asthma (AA), as well as other variables in study, using the chi-square test. Generalized linear models were configured to analyze potential confounding factors (p < 0.20). Results: Between 2013 and 2014, 1,053 adolescents were evaluated. The prevalences of AA and insufficient/deficient levels of calcifediol were 15.4% and 21%, respectively. There were no statistically significant associations between AA and hypovitaminosis D. The prevalences of AA and vitamin D insufficiency were, respectively, 2.34 (95% CI, 1,28-4.30) and 3.22 (95% CI, 1.75-5.95) times higher in Porto Alegre than in Rio de Janeiro, regardless of possible confounding factors. However, no significant associations were found between the prevalence of AA and vitamin-D-related variables in any of the cities. Conclusions: No association was found between AA and low levels of vitamin D in adolescents living at different latitudes in Brazil.

Keywords: Adolescent; Asthma/epidemiology; Vitamin D.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in children 0-18 years of age with recurrent wheezing and/or asthma residing in the microregion of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and treated at a referral center, and to determine its association with major risk factors for wheezing. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a semi-structured questionnaire, which was administered by trained interviewers to the legal guardians of the study participants. Data were obtained regarding general characteristics of recurrent wheezing; general sociodemographic, environmental, and biologic factors; and atopy-related factors. The magnitude of the statistical association was assessed by calculating ORs and their corresponding 95% CIs by using multiple logistic regression. Results: We included 124 children in the study. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in the sample was 57.3%. Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency was found to be associated with wheezing in the first year of life, personal history of atopic dermatitis, environmental pollution, and vitamin D supplementation until 2 years of age. Conclusions: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency was high in our sample. Vitamin D concentrations were directly associated with vitamin D supplementation until 2 years of age and were inversely associated with wheezing events in the first year of life, personal history of atopic dermatitis, and environmental pollution.

Keywords: Vitamin D; Asthma; Respiratory sounds; Minors.

Objective: To determine the presence of staphylococcal superantigen-specific IgE antibodies and degree of IgE-mediated sensitization, as well as whether or not those are associated with the severity of asthma in adult patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving outpatients with asthma under treatment at a tertiary care university hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Consecutive patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of asthma based on the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria: mild asthma (MA), comprising patients with mild intermittent or persistent asthma; and moderate or severe asthma (MSA). We determined the serum levels of staphylococcal toxin-specific IgE antibodies, comparing the results and performing a statistical analysis. Results: The study included 142 patients: 72 in the MA group (median age = 46 years; 59 females) and 70 in the MSA group (median age = 56 years; 60 females). In the sample as a whole, 62 patients (43.7%) presented positive results for staphylococcal toxin-specific IgE antibodies: staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), in 29 (20.4%); SEB, in 35 (24.6%); SEC, in 33 (23.2%); and toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST), in 45 (31.7%). The mean serum levels of IgE antibodies to SEA, SEB, SEC, and TSST were 0.96 U/L, 1.09 U/L, 1.21 U/L, and 1.18 U/L, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of the qualitative or quantitative results. Conclusions: Serum IgE antibodies to SEA, SEB, SEC, and TSST were detected in 43.7% of the patients in our sample. However, neither the qualitative nor quantitative results showed a statistically significant association with the clinical severity of asthma.

Keywords: Asthma; Immunoglobulin E; Superantigens; Bacterial toxins; Staphylococcus aureus.

Objective: To investigate the level of agreement between the GINA questionnaire and the Asthma Control Test (ACT) in children and adolescents with asthma, as well as to compare the clinical, laboratory, and spirometric characteristics of patients with controlled and uncontrolled asthma as assessed by the two questionnaires. Methods: Children and adolescents with asthma had their level of asthma control cross-sectionally assessed by the GINA questionnaire and the ACT, the Childhood ACT (C-ACT) being used for the children in the sample. The participating patients also underwent spirometry, clinical assessment (for passive smoking, asthma severity, medication use, and type of inhaler device used), and laboratory measurements of vitamin D levels, blood eosinophils, and total IgE. Results: A total of 76 patients were assessed. Of those, 62% were male, and the mean age was 10 [9-12] years. In addition, 42% and 20% were classified as having uncontrolled asthma by the GINA questionnaire and the C-ACT/ACT, respectively. There was moderate agreement between the two questionnaires regarding identification of controlled and uncontrolled asthma (? = 0.505; p < 0,0001). The patients classified as having uncontrolled asthma by the GINA questionnaire had worse results in terms of daily inhaled corticosteroid dose, asthma severity, passive smoking, and spirometric parameters (FVC, FEV1, and FEF25-75%). However, there was no significant difference between patients classified as having controlled or uncontrolled asthma by the C-ACT/ACT. Conclusions: In children and adolescents with asthma, the level of agreement between the GINA questionnaire and the C-ACT/ACT appears to be moderate. The GINA questionnaire appears to have a stronger association with functional parameters, indicating better clinical assessment with less underreporting of uncontrolled asthma.

Keywords: Asthma; Pediatrics; Surveys and questionnaires; Therapeutics.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of smoking, as well as its association with sociodemographic factors, alcohol consumption, and stress levels, among industrial workers in Brazil. Methods: This was a nationwide survey, conducted in 24 capitals in Brazil through the application of a pre-tested questionnaire. The response to the question "What is your smoking status?" was the outcome variable. To determine the associations, we performed Poisson regression analyses in which the inputs were blocks of variables: block 1 (age and marital status); block 2 (level of education and gross family income); block 3 (geographic region); and block 4 (alcohol consumption and stress level). All analyses were stratified by gender. Results: The sample consisted of 47,328 workers ≥ 18 years of age, of whom 14,577 (30.8%) were women. The prevalence of smoking was 13.0% (15.2% in men and 7.9% in women). Advancing age, alcohol consumption, and a high stress level were positively associated with smoking. A lower risk of smoking was associated with being married, having a higher level of education, and living in the northeastern region of the country (versus the southern region). Conclusions: The prevalence of smoking was greater in men than in women. Alcohol consumption and high stress levels appear to promote smoking.

Keywords: Tobacco use disorder/epidemiology; Tobacco smoking; Occupational health; Industry; Brazil.

Objective: To determine the frequency of active smoking among patients with asthma and individuals without asthma by self-report and urinary cotinine measurement. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the city of Salvador, Brazil, and involving 1,341 individuals: 498 patients with severe asthma, 417 patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, and 426 individuals without asthma. Smoking status was determined by self-report (with the use of standardized questionnaires) and urinary cotinine measurement. The study variables were compared with the chi-square test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Of the sample as a whole, 55 (4.1%) reported being current smokers. Of those, 5 had severe asthma, 17 had mild-to-moderate asthma, and 33 had no asthma diagnosis. Of the 55 smokers, 32 (58.2%) were daily smokers and 23 (41.8%) were occasional smokers. Urinary cotinine levels were found to be high in self-reported nonsmokers and former smokers, especially among severe asthma patients, a finding that suggests patient nondisclosure of smoking status. Among smokers, a longer smoking history was found in patients with severe asthma when compared with those with mild-to-moderate asthma. In addition, the proportion of former smokers was higher among patients with severe asthma than among those with mild-to-moderate asthma. Conclusions: Former smoking is associated with severe asthma. Current smoking is observed in patients with severe asthma, and patient nondisclosure of smoking status occurs in some cases. Patients with severe asthma should be thoroughly screened for smoking, and findings should be complemented by objective testing.

Keywords: Asthma; Smoking; Cotinine.

Objective: To evaluate the association between nutritional status measurements and pulmonary function in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis. Methods: We evaluated the nutritional status of 48 children and adolescents (aged 6-18 years) with cystic fibrosis based on body mass index (BMI) and body composition measurements-mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) and triceps skinfold thickness (TST)-at a referral center in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pulmonary function was assessed by means of spirometry, using FEV1 to classify the severity of airway obstruction. We used Student's t-tests for comparisons between proportions and linear regression analysis for associations between continuous variables. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The evaluation of nutritional status based on BMI identified a smaller number of malnourished patients than did that based on MAMC (14 vs. 25 patients, respectively). Most of the patients presented mild pulmonary disease. Mean FEV1 was 82.5% of predicted. Pulmonary function was found to correlate significantly with BMI, MAMC and TST (p = 0.001, p = 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively). All subjects with moderate or severe pulmonary involvement were considered malnourished based on BMI and body composition parameters. Of the 25 patients considered malnourished based on body composition (MAMC), 19 were considered well-nourished based on their BMI. Conclusions: In the present study, all nutritional status measurements correlated directly with the pulmonary function of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis. However, body composition measurements allowed earlier detection of nutritional deficiencies.

Keywords: Cystic fibrosis; Body composition; Spirometry; Nutrition assessment.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects that inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and respiratory exercises have on muscle strength, peak expiratory flow (PEF) and severity variables in children with asthma. Methods: This was a randomized analytical study involving 50 children with asthma allocated to one of two groups: an IMT group, comprising 25 children submitted to IMT via an asthma education and treatment program; and a control group, comprising 25 children who were submitted only to monthly medical visits and education on asthma. The IMT was performed using a pressure threshold load of 40% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP). The results were evaluated using analysis of variance, the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test, values of p > 0.05 being considered significant. Results: In the comparative analysis, pre- and post-intervention values of MIP, maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) and PEF increased significantly in the IMT group: MIP from −48.32 ± 5.706 to −109.92 ± 18.041 (p < 0.0001); MEP from 50.64 ± 6.55 to 82.04 ± 17.006 (p < 0.0001); and PEF from 173.6 ± 50.817 to 312 ± 54.848 (p < 0.0001). In the control group, however, there were no significant differences between the two time points in terms of MIP or MEP, although PEF increased from 188 ± 43.97 to 208.80 ± 44.283 (p < 0.0001). There was a significant improvement in the severity variables in the IMT group (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Programs involving IMT and respiratory exercises can increase mechanical efficiency of the respiratory muscles, as well as improving PEF and severity variables.

Keywords: Breathing exercises; Asthma/therapy; Asthma/rehabilitation.

Objective: Asthma is the most common chronic pulmonary disease, characterized by bronchial inflammation. Some children with asthma have persistent pulmonary function impairment. The prevalence and etiology of this abnormality in children with asthma in developing countries remain unknown. The objective of this study was to estimate the proportion of patients with impaired pulmonary function who were unresponsive to treatment in a group of children and adolescents with asthma, and to describe the phenotypic characteristics of the sample. Methods: Using a standardized questionnaire, we selected outpatients (5-17 years of age) diagnosed with persistent asthma. These patients underwent spirometry and skin prick tests for sensitivity to common aeroallergens. Persistent pulmonary function impairment was defined as an FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.80, even after 10 days of treatment with bronchodilators and oral corticosteroids. We used the atopic index to differentiate between patients with little or no response to the skin prick test and those with a strong response (cut-off point: 4 allergens). Results: We included 96 patients with a mean age of 10.6 years. Of those, 52 (54.1%) were male, and 89 (92.7%) were atopic. Of the 96 patients, 8 (8.3%) had impaired pulmonary function even after the treatment. Among those patients, 8 (100%) were atopic, 7 (87.5%) had moderate or severe asthma, and 7 (87.5%) had a history of hospitalization for acute bronchiolitis. Conclusions: Children and adolescents with moderate or severe asthma can present with impaired pulmonary function and be unresponsive to treatment. This clinical situation has been little studied in developing countries, and its risk factors and etiology will be better understood only through birth cohort studies.

Keywords: Asthma; Respiratory function tests; Allergy and immunology.

Objective: To evaluate the asthma prevalence in the Federal District of Brazil, using the questionnaire developed for the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood to look for correlations with socioeconomic levels. Methods: A total of 6437 children (3183 from six to seven years old and 3254 from thirteen to fourteen years old), attending public or private schools, were evaluated. The data were analyzed by gender and socioeconomic status (chi-square test). Results: The prevalence of asthma in the Federal District was 12.1% among the six- and seven-year-olds and 13.8% among the thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds (p < 0.04). In the six-to-seven age bracket, asthma prevalence was significantly greater, and asthma-related symptoms were more frequent, among males (p < 0.001). In contrast, asthma-related symptoms were more frequent among females in the thirteen-to-fourteen age bracket (p < 0.05). Children belonging to the lowest socioeconomic class, as determined by the responses given on the questionnaire completed by the parents, presented the highest prevalence of asthma, regardless of age bracket (p < 0.001). Among such children, asthma-related symptoms were also more frequent (p < 0.05). In the thirteen-to-fourteen age bracket, the prevalence of asthma was greater among those belonging to the highest socioeconomic class (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Overall, economically disadvantaged children more frequently presented asthma-related symptoms and experienced asthma attacks that were of greater severity. In addition, the prevalence of suspected asthma was higher than that of diagnosed asthma in this group, suggesting that asthma is underdiagnosed in children belonging to the lowest socioeconomic class.

Keywords: Asthma/epidemiology; Asthma/diagnosis; Socioeconomic factors; School health; Questionnaires

Objective: To determine, through home visits, the rate of compliance with environmental control measures in the homes of children with asthma. Methods: This study involved 98 asthma patients between the ages of 4 and 15. The parents of those children and adolescents received instruction in how to carry out environmental control measures and were encouraged to perform such measures continuously for a period of 90 days. Home visits, which included direct inspection of the domicile and administration of a questionnaire, were made before and after this 90-day period. In cases of noncompliance, parents were asked to explain why they did not carry out the control measures. Statistical analysis was performed using the McNemar test. Results: Overall compliance with the various items studied was 11.1%, ranging from -4.1% (for curtain control, p = 0.63) to 22.6% (for stuffed toys, p < 0.001). Passive smoking was reduced to 9.7% (p = 0.02). Among the families studied, the mean monthly income was 2.5 times the national minimum wage. When asked why they had not adopted the recommended measures, noncompliant parents gave, among others, the following explanations: "economic hardship" (60.1%); "the measures were too difficult to carry out" (6.1%); "nonparticipation of the father" (4%); and "lack of time on the part of the mother" (4%). Conclusion: Environmental control measures were carried out sporadically, possibly reflecting the influence of socioeconomic and cultural factors.

Keywords: Asthma; Allergens; Environmental exposure; Hypersensivity/prevention & control; Compliance

Objective: Whether blood eosinophils (bEOS) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with disease progression is a topic of debate. We aimed to evaluate whether the differential white blood cell (WBC) count, symptoms and treatment may predict lung function decline and exacerbations in COPD patients. Methods: We retrospectively examined stable COPD patients with a minimum follow-up of 3 years at our outpatients' clinic. We collected information about lung volumes (FEV1, FVC), the total and differential WBC count, acute exacerbations of COPD (number in the 12 months before the beginning of the study=AE-COPD-B, and during the follow-up=AE-COPD-F), smoking status and treatment. FEV1 decline and AE-COPD-F were described by using a generalized linear model and a 2-level random intercept negative binomial regression, respectively. The models included eosinophil and neutrophil counts as potential predictors and were adjusted by sex, age, smoking status, AE-COPD-B, treatment with bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Results: Sixty-eight patients were considered, 36 bEOS- (<170 cells/µL, the median value) and 32 bEOS+ (=170 cells/µL). ?FEV1 was higher in bEOS+ than bEOS- (34.86 mL/yr vs 4.49 mL/yr, p=0.029). After adjusting for potential confounders, the eosinophil count was positively (ß=19.4; CI 95% 2.8, 36.1; p=0.022) and ICS negatively (ß=-57.7; CI 95% -91.5,-23.9; p=0.001) associated with lung function decline. bEOS were not found to be associated with the number of AE-COPD-F. Conclusion: In stable COPD patients, a higher level of blood eosinophils (albeit in the normal range) predicts a greater FEV1 decline, while ICS are associated with a slower progression of airflow obstruction.

Keywords: COPD; Blood eosinophils; FEV1 decline; Exacerbations; Biomarkers. Correspondence to:

Abstract Objective: To evaluate whether respiratory therapy techniques influence the number of cells within and quantity of induced sputum in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Randomized clinical trial, in which patients with asthma or COPD under intervention (n = 16 and 10, respectively) were compared with control groups (n = 16 and 10). Patients in the asthma/intervention (A/I) and COPD/intervention (C/I) groups were submitted to oscillating positive expiratory pressure maneuvers for 5 min, followed by 10 forced expiratory technique sequences. These patients were also submitted to an induced sputum protocol with inhaled hypertonic saline (3%, 4% or 5%; A/I group) or inhaled isotonic saline (C/I group). The asthma/control (A/C) and COPD/control (C/C) groups were submitted only to the standard induced sputum protocol. Results: The final mean weight of the sputum samples was significantly greater in the A/I group than in the A/C group (2,767.25 ± 998.08 mg vs. 1,689.17 ± 1,189.96 mg; p = 0.03). The mean/median total cell counts (×106/mL) were higher in the A/I and C/I groups than in the A/C and C/C groups (4.06/0.95 and 0.63/0.39, p = 0.05, vs. 5.08/1.77 and 0.64/0.40, p = 0.02). There were no statistically significant differences among the groups in terms of cell viability. Conclusions: The use of respiratory therapy techniques can increase sputum sample weight in asthma patients, as well as increasing total cell counts in patients with asthma or COPD.

Keywords: Asthma; Pulmonary disease, obstructive chronic; Sputum; Physical therapy modalities.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of developmental defects of enamel (DDEs) in relation to asthma severity, symptom onset and pharmacological treatment in pediatric asthma patients. Methods: Children and adolescents (68 asthma patients and 68 controls), 5-15 years of age and residents of the city of Londrina, Brazil, were enrolled in the study. Medical and dental histories were collected through the use of a structured questionnaire. Each participant underwent a dental examination in which the examiner employed the DDE index. Results: Of the 68 asthma group subjects, 61 (89.7%) presented dental enamel defects, compared with only 26 (38.2%) of those in the control group. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, we estimated the risk of DDEs in permanent dentition to be 11 times higher in pediatric subjects with asthma than in those without (OR = 11.88, p = 0.0001). The occurrence of dental enamel defects correlated with greater asthma severity (p = 0.0001) and earlier symptom onset (p = 0.0001). However, dental enamel defects did not correlate with the initiation of treatment (p = 0.08) or the frequency of medication use (p = 0.93). Conclusions: Pediatric patients with severe, early-onset asthma are at increased risk of dental enamel defects and therefore require priority dental care.

Keywords: Asthma/prevention & control; Bronchodilator agents; Adrenal cortex hormones/therapeutic use; Dental enamel; Amelogenesis.

Objective: To compare children/adolescents with mild or moderate asthma and healthy subjects in terms of respiratory muscle strength, correlating it with spirometric variables in the former group. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving individuals 6-16 years of age and clinically diagnosed with mild/moderate asthma, together with a group of healthy, age- and gender-matched subjects. We determined spirometric values, as well as MIP and MEP, and we selected three reproducible measurements (variation < 10%). Results: We evaluated 75 patients with asthma and 90 controls. The mean age was 10.0 ± 2.6 years. There were no statistically significant differences between the controls and the asthma group regarding MIP (−89.7 ± 26.7 cmH2O vs. −92.2 ± 26.3 cmH2O; p = 0.541) or MEP (79.2 ± 22.9 cmH2O vs. 86.4 ± 24.0 cmH2O; p = 0.256). The groups were subdivided by age (children and adolescents: 6-12 and 13-16 years of age, respectively). Within the asthma group, there was a significant difference between the child and adolescent subgroups in terms of MEP (74.1 ± 24.1 cmH2O vs. 92.1 ± 21.9 cmH2O; p < 0.001) but not MIP (p = 0.285). Within the control group, there were significant differences between the child and adolescent subgroups in terms of MIP (−79.1 ± 17.7 cmH2O vs. −100.9 ± 28.1 cmH2O; p < 0.001) and MEP (73.9 ± 18.7 cmH2O vs. 90.9 ± 28.1cmH2O; p < 0.001). In the asthma group, spirometric variables did not correlate with MIP or MEP. Conclusions: In our sample, asthma was found to have no significant effect on respiratory muscle strength.