Longitudinal study on peak expiratory flow monitoring and its impact on quality of life in childhood asthma.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring using a smart peak flow (SPF) device on the quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction among children with asthma.

Methods: This 3-month prospective cohort study enrolled 71 children aged 7 to 17 years with physician-diagnosed asthma. Participants used the SPF device twice daily, with measurements recorded automatically.

Allergic rhinitis in remission with house dust mite subcutaneous immunotherapy.

Background: House dust mite subcutaneous immunotherapy (HDM SCIT) is a therapeutic option for allergic rhinitis (AR) patients who are unable to properly manage symptoms with standard medications.

Objective: This study aimed to determine long-term efficacy and identify predictive factors in the clinical remission of AR patients who completed and discontinued HDM SCIT.

Methods: This study included 240 AR patients, who completed a three-year course of HDM SCIT at two tertiary hospitals and were currently being discontinued.

Azithromycin therapy in infants hospitalized for respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis: Airway matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels and subsequent recurrent wheeze.

Background: Early life respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis is a significant risk factor for childhood asthma. In vitro and in vivo studies suggested that decreasing levels of airway matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 during RSV bronchiolitis may be associated with clinical benefits.

Objective: To investigate whether azithromycin therapy during severe RSV bronchiolitis reduces upper airway MMP-9 levels, whether upper airway MMP-9 levels correlate with upper airway interleukin IL-8 levels, and whether MMP-9 level reduction is associated with reduced post-RSV recurrent wheeze (RW).

Anaphylaxis in children: Effect of age and atopic status.

Background: Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction with rising incidence worldwide. Young children's limited ability to express symptoms adds unique diagnostic challenges.

Objective: To study on anaphylaxis in children, including triggers, symptoms, treatment, atopic status impact, and adrenaline injection time intervals.

Characterization of gut microbiome profile in children with confirmed wheat allergy.

Background: Food allergies pose serious health risks, including life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, increased morbidity, and reduced quality of life. Wheat allergy is a common concern in Asia. There is growing interest in understanding the potential association between dysregulation of the gut microbiome and the development of food allergies.

Benefits of mobile messenger application in caregivers of food allergy children.

Background: Unintentional exposure is common in children with food allergies.

Objective: To assess the benefits of newly developed food allergy application.

Methods: Caregivers of children with confirmed immediate reactions to food were enrolled to use the "Kinchew" application for one month.

Effect of dyslipidemia, obesity, and atopic status on exhaled and alveolar nitric oxide in asthmatic children.

Background: Dyslipidemia and obesity contribute to a pro-inflammatory state. Eosinophilic airway inflammation can be indirectly measured by fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) produced in the airways of asthmatic subjects.

Objective: To compare exhaled nitric oxide (NO) and alveolar NO in asthmatic children with and without dyslipidemia.

Skin prick test and serum specific IgE in predicting dust mite-induced allergic rhinitis diagnosed from nasal provocation test in chronic rhinitis children.

Background: Allergen skin prick test (SPT) and serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) are effective diagnostic tests in allergic rhinitis (AR), however, positive results may not always correlate with clinical allergies. A nasal provocation test (NPT) can identify the causative allergen for immunotherapy, but it's not routinely performed.

Objective: To establish the cutoff value for the house dust mite (HDM) SPT mean wheal diameter (MWD) and HDM sIgE level for identifying children with HDM-induced AR diagnosed from NPT.

Improvement of inattentive and hyperactive symptoms after real-life rhinitis treatment in school-aged children.

Objectives: Rhinitis treatment may improve attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms in children. The current study evaluated changes in inattentive and hyperactive symptoms after treatment in children with chronic rhinitis.

Methods: Children aged 5-18 years with chronic rhinitis were enrolled in a 3-month prospective study.

Azithromycin to Prevent Recurrent Wheeze Following Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis.

Background: Early-life severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis is a risk factor for childhood asthma. Because azithromycin may attenuate airway inflammation during RSV bronchiolitis, we evaluated whether it would reduce the occurrence of post-RSV recurrent wheeze.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 200 otherwise healthy 1- to 18-month-old children hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis in this single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and randomly assigned them to receive oral azithromycin (10 mg/kg daily for 7 days, followed by 5 mg/kg daily for 7 days) or placebo.

Association of Dyslipidemia and Respiratory Resistance Assessed by the Forced Oscillation Technique in Asthmatic Children.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the associations between dyslipidemia and pulmonary function parameters assessed by spirometry and the forced oscillation technique in asthmatic children.

Methods: Asthmatic children (5-18 years old) had fasting serum lipid profiles including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations, and C-reactive protein (CRP) measured. Pulmonary function tests were assessed by spirometry and the forced oscillation technique (FOT).

Airway Nitric Oxide in Children with HDM-Induced Allergic Rhinitis.

Background: Rhinitis is a common problem in children. Airway nitric oxide (NO) was proposed to represent eosinophilic inflammation.

Objectives: To evaluate airway NO level in children with house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic rhinitis.

Serum Periostin Predicts Wheezing Exacerbation: A Prospective Study in Preschool Children with Recurrent Wheezing.

Introduction: Wheezing is a common problem in preschool children. Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers that can predict subsequent wheezing in preschool children. This study aimed to compare serum periostin levels between preschool children with and without recurrent wheezing and investigate its utility for predicting acute wheezing exacerbation.

The azithromycin to prevent wheezing following severe RSV bronchiolitis-II clinical trial: Rationale, study design, methods, and characteristics of study population.

Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in early life is a significant risk factor for future recurrent wheeze (RW) and asthma. The goal of the Azithromycin to Prevent Wheezing following severe RSV bronchiolitis II (APW-RSV II) clinical trial is to evaluate if azithromycin treatment in infants hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis reduces the occurrence of RW during the preschool years. The APW-RSV II clinical trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, randomized trial, including otherwise healthy participants, ages 30 days-18 months, who are hospitalized due to RSV bronchiolitis.

Skin Prick Test Versus Phadiatop as a Tool for Diagnosis of Allergic Rhinitis in Children.

Background: Skin prick test (SPT) or Phadiatop, a multi-allergen IgE screening test, was used as a tool for detecting aeroallergen sensitization.

Objective: To compare SPT and Phadiatop as a tool for diagnosis allergic rhinitis (AR) using the nasal provocation test (NPT) as a comparative standard.

Methods: Children aged 5-18 years with rhinitis symptoms more than 6 times in the past year were enrolled.

Impact of school peanut-free policies on epinephrine administration.

Background: Children with food allergies spend a large proportion of time in school but characteristics of allergic reactions in schools are not well studied. Some schools self-designate as peanut-free or have peanut-free areas, but the impact of policies on clinical outcomes has not been evaluated.

Objective: We sought to determine the effect of peanut-free policies on rates of epinephrine administration for allergic reactions in Massachusetts public schools.