Effect of urinary incontinence on the quality of life of asthmatic women.

OBJECTIVES: Urinary incontinence (UI) has been associated with chronic respiratory symptoms, and it affects quality of life. This study evaluated the quality of life of asthmatic patients from the Assistance Program for Asthmatic Patients (PAPA) with and without UI. METHODS: This is an analytical descriptive cross-sectional study using a sample of 358 women with asthma. Data were collected via the International Consultation Incontinence Questionnaire-Simplified Form (ICIQ-SF), Quality of Life in Asthma Questionnaire (QLAQ-ASTHMA) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS: We found a general prevalence of UI of 55.3%. Overall quality of life scores in the SF-36 and QLAQ-ASTHMA were not related to the presence of UI. However, the amount of urine lost was significantly correlated with the subdomains physical aspects, general health, social functioning and mental health of the SF-36 and with socioeconomic and psychosocial domains of the QLAQ-ASTHMA. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary incontinence may affect a large proportion of older women with asthma. This study demonstrates the importance of routinely evaluating the occurrence of UI in order to improve the quality of life of asthmatic patients.

Polimorfismo Arg16Gly e Gln27Glu do Gene B2-ADR e a sensibilização fúngica associada ao controle e gravidade da asma / B2-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphism Arg16Gly, Gln27Glu and fungal sensitization associated with the control and severity of asthma

A asma brônquica é uma doença inflamatória crônica das vias aéreas inferiores que resulta da interação entre fatores genéticos e ambientais.Teve como objetivo estudar o polimorfismo Arg16Gly e Gln27Glu do Gene β2-ADR e a sensibilização fúngica associada ao controle e gravidade da asma. Trata-se de um estudo observacional analítico caso controle em portadores de asma, assistidos no “Programa de Assistência ao Paciente Asmático do Hospital Universitário Presidente Dutra” (PAPA-HUPD). Foram incluídos no estudo 83 pacientes com asma brônquica e 46 não asmáticos como controles. Os participantes coletaram duas amostra de 5ml de sangue, para genotipagem do gene β2AR-16 e β2AR-27 por PCR-RFLP e teste de sensibilização Elisa específico para fungos. Os dados de controle foram obtidos através do Teste de Controle da Asma (ACT) e os dados clínicos dos prontuários. As análises de polimorfismo não apresentaram associação com o estado de controle da asma para o gene β2-ADR-16 e β2-ADR-27. Entre asmáticos e não asmáticos foi observado diferença estatisticamente significante (p<0,05) com maior expressão do alelo Glu (74%) entre os não asmáticos. O homozigoto Glu/Glu também foi mais frequentes entre os não asmáticos, sugerindo que o alelo Glu-27 pode estar associado ao risco diminuído para asma. Quanto à sensibilização fúngica, não houve associação significante com os genótipos estudados. O estudo mostrou que, asmáticos graves são mais sensibilizados que não asmáticos e asmáticos moderados. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre controle da asma e sensibilização fúngica, no entanto houve associação significativa com a gravidade. Associações isoladas entre sensibilização fúngica e asma, assim como entre polimorfismo e asma ficou evidente neste estudo...

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lower airways, and is a result of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Aimed to study polymorphism and Arg16Gly Gln27Glu Gene β2-ADR and fungal sensitization associated with asthma severity and control. It is an observational, analytic case-control study involving asthmatic subjects of the Assistance Program to the Asthmatic Patient - APAP, in the Presidente Dutra University Hospital, Maranhão, Brazil. Eighty-three asthmatic patients and 46 non-asthmatic controls were included in the study. PCR-RFLP genotyping of the β2AR-16 and β2AR-27 genes, and fungal-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were made in two 5 ml blood samples collected from the participants. Control data were gathered from the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and clinical data from the medical records. The analysis of the polymorphism has not demonstrated association between the asthma control status and the β2AR-16 and β2AR-27 genes. There was statistically significant difference (p < 0,05) between asthmatics and non-asthmatics, with higher expression (74%) of the Glu allele in non-asthmatic subjects. The Glu/Glu homozygote was also more frequent between non-asthmatics, and it suggests that the Glu-27 allele might be associated with a lower risk to develop asthma. Regarding fungal sensitization, there wasn't significant association with the studied genotypes. The study demonstrated that severe asthmatics are more sensitized than non-asthmatics and moderate asthmatics. There wasn't statistically significant difference between asthma control and fungal sensitization; nevertheless, there was significant association with the severity level. Isolated associations between fungal sensitization and asthma, as well as associations between polymorphisms and asthma were evident in this study...