Asthma control affects school absence, achievement and quality of school life: a multicenter study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Asthma may have a detrimental effect on school attendance and achievement. Friend relations, attendance to school activities, quality of life (QOL) of asthmatic children may be negatively affected. The aim of this study was to evaluate factors influencing school functioning for asthmatic school-age children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January to May 2019, parents and school-age children who were followed by a diagnosis of asthma for more than one year, from seven pediatric allergy centers, were given a standard questionnaire including questions about child's disease, school performance, absenteeism, home-family-school conditions. A pediatric QOL questionnaire was filled out by children. For evaluating control in the previous year, children who had more than two exacerbations and/or had any exacerbations needing systemic corticosteroids in the previous year were defined as inadequate control. School absence over nine days was taken into account as this has been shown to bring a risk for successful school life. RESULTS: 507 patients were included. Asthma control status was found to be effective on school absence (p < 0.001), on school success (especially math scores) (p < 0.001), on friend relations (p = 0.033), QOL (p < 0.001), attendance to school activities (p < 0.001). Regular follow-up (p < 0.001), regular use of asthma medication (p = 0.014), tobacco smoke exposure (p < 0.001), heating with stove at home (p = 0.01) affected asthma control. School conditions such as crowdedness (p = 0.044), humidity of the class (p = 0.025), knowledge of teacher about child's asthma (p = 0.012) were effective on asthma control independent of home conditions and asthma treatment parameters. CONCLUSION: School interventions are important to improve asthma management.

Therapeutic effect of Castellani's paint in patients with an itchy ear canal.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of Castellani's paint on symptomatic relief and skin flora in patients with an itchy external ear canal. METHODS: Subjective pruritus scores, and erythema and desquamation scores, were noted in 61 patients with an itchy external ear canal. External ear canal skin swabs were taken for bacterial and fungal cultures. Patients were then randomly divided into three groups: either Castellani's paint (group one) or steroid ear drops (group two) were instilled, or non-impacted cerumen was removed (group three). Patients were re-assessed at one month after the initial visit. RESULTS: After treatment, subjective pruritus scores were significantly lower in all groups, erythema scores were significantly decreased in group one, and desquamation scores were significantly reduced in groups one and two, when compared with pre-treatment scores. Reproduction density of bacteria including normal flora was decreased in group one. However, the types of bacteria that constitute the normal flora of the external ear canal were unchanged. CONCLUSION: Castellani's paint can be administered safely, effectively and easily, without affecting the type of external ear canal skin bacteria, in patients with an itchy external ear canal.

Expression of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-33 protein in vocal fold polyps.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the association of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-33 protein ('ADAM-33') expression in vocal polyp formation and to determine its correlation with clinical characteristics. METHODS: Medical charts and histological sections of 32 patients diagnosed with vocal polyps who underwent surgery were analysed. Controls were histopathologically normal vocal fold tissues obtained from 36 patients who underwent surgery for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect ADAM-33 expression in epithelial cells, stroma and vessels. RESULTS: All epithelial, stromal and vascular staining scores were significantly greater in polyp tissue than in controls (p < 0.001). Stromal ADAM-33 staining scores were higher in vocal polyp patients with a symptom duration of less than six months (p < 0.05). Vocal overuse or the presence of reflux symptoms, sinonasal symptoms or allergy did not affect ADAM-33 immunostaining scores (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, ADAM-33 immunostaining was significantly increased in vocal polyps. Therefore, over-expression of this protein may be associated with vocal polyp pathogenesis.

Expression of "a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-33" (ADAM-33) protein in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain containing protein 33 (also known as ADAM-33) is a member of a matrix metalloproteinase family which mediates extracellular matrix remodelling and changes in cellular adhesion. This study aimed to evaluate expression of this protein in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and to determine its correlation with patients' clinicopathological characteristics. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty paraffin blocks of laryngeal carcinoma underwent immunohistochemical staining to detect "a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-33" expression. Case records were reviewed to determine patient characteristics. RESULTS: All epithelial, vascular and stromal staining scores were significantly increased in tumour tissue compared with controls (p < 0.001). However, patients' clinical characteristics at the time of diagnosis, and their disease extent, did not correlate significantly with the immunohistochemical staining scores. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that increased expression of "a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-33" may play a role in the pathogenesis of laryngeal carcinoma.