Markers of eosinophilic and neutrophilic inflammation in bronchoalveolar lavage of asthmatic and atopic children.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies performing fiberoptic bronchoscopy in children have improved our understanding of asthma pathophysiology. Eosinophilic, but also neutrophilic, inflammation has been described in asthma, but the relationship with atopy was incompletely investigated. The aim of this study is to examine inflammatory cells and mediators in children with asthma compared to the appropriate controls, i.e. atopic children without asthma and children with no atopy or asthma. Moreover, asthmatic children were analysed separately based on the presence of atopy and stratified by age. METHODS: We recruited 191 children undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy for appropriate indications: 91 asthmatics (aged 1.4-17 years), 44 atopics without asthma (1.6-17.8 years) and 56 nonasthmatic nonatopic controls (1.4-14 years). In bronchoalveolar lavage, total and differential cell counts and inflammatory mediators, including ECP, eotaxin, IL-8 and TNFalpha, were analysed. RESULTS: Eosinophils and ECP levels were increased in asthmatic children when compared to controls (P = 0.002 and P = 0.01, respectively), but also atopic children without asthma had increased ECP levels compared to controls (P = 0.0001). Among asthmatic children, eosinophils and ECP levels were not different between atopic and nonatopic individuals. Neither neutrophils nor the related mediators (IL-8 and TNFalpha) differed significantly in the three groups. This pattern of inflammation was observed in both preschool and school-aged asthmatic children. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that markers of eosinophilic, but not neutrophilic inflammation, are increased in asthmatic children and also in atopic children without asthma. Of interest, in asthmatic children, the activation of the eosinophilic response is not solely because of the presence of atopy.

Paediatrics in Berlin.

The aim of this report is to describe the highlights of the European Respiratory Society annual congress in Berlin, Germany. The best abstracts in asthma and allergy, cystic fibrosis, respiratory infection, paediatric and neonatal intensive care, paediatric investigative techniques (in particular respiratory physiology and bronchoscopy) and respiratory epidemiology are presented and set in the context of the current literature.

Clinical evaluation and treatment of acute asthma exacerbations in children.

This update on treatment of asthma exacerbations in children is the result of an Italian Pediatric Society Task-force, made up of a panel of experts working in 2007-2008. The aim is to give clear indications on the use of the drugs most employed in children, grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations. Suggestions on their limits due to unlicensed and off-label use are reported. The level of evidence and the strength of recommendations for different therapeutic approaches demonstrate that frequently the use of drugs in children is extrapolated from the experience in adults and that more studies are required to endorse the correct use of different drugs in asthmatic children.

Unilateral laryngeal paralysis in a newborn with congenital varicella syndrome.

We report a case of a newborn with unilateral laryngeal paralysis due to congenital varicella syndrome. The patient needed neonatal resuscitation with positive pressure ventilation for severe respiratory failure. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed left unilateral laryngeal paralysis. From the first week of life he presented left Horner's syndrome and difficult swallowing. He was hospitalised during the first 3 months of life for recurrent aspiration pneumonia and failure to thrive. At 11 months an ophthalmic evaluation with Ret-Cam showed a chorioretinal scar in the macular region that allowed the final diagnosis.

Pediatric chronic lower respiratory disorders: microbiological and immunological phenotype.

The role of infectious agents in children with recurrent/chronic lower respiratory disorders (R/CLRDs) is not clear, whereas it has been largely studied in acute respiratory diseases. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the frequency of infections, in particular viral infections, in children with R/CLRDs correlating their presence with clinical/biohumoral parameters. Eighty children affected by R/CLRDs underwent bronchoscopy and analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for cells, mediators (eosinophil cationic protein-ECP, interleukin-IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-TNFα) and pathogens (viruses and bacteria). Viral genomes were detected in 50/80 (62.5%) children. Rhinovirus, the principal detected virus (26/50, 52%), occurred more frequently in male children. Higher percentages of BAL neutrophils and IL-8 values were detected in virus positive than negative children. ECP values resulted significantly higher in the children with rhinovirus than in those with other viruses. No other statistically significant correlation between viral findings and clinical/biohumoral data were found. Respiratory viruses, especially rhinovirus, seem to play an important role in children with R/CLRDs. They are associated with changes in BAL cellularity and inflammatory cytokines. Further studies are needed to confirm the persistence of viruses in these patients and to identify eventual therapeutic strategies.