Parameters of lung inflammation in asthmatic as compared to healthy children in a contaminated city.

BACKGROUND: The impact of air pollution on the respiratory system has been estimated on the basis of respiratory symptoms and lung function. However; few studies have compared lung inflammation in healthy and asthmatics children exposed to high levels of air pollution. The aim of the study was to elucidate the modulatory effect of air pollution on Cysteinyl-leukotrienes (Cys-LTs) levels in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) among healthy and asthmatic children. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional comparative study. Children between 7-12 years of age, asthmatics and non-asthmatics, residents of a city with high levels of PM10 were included. In all cases, forced spirometry, Cys-LTs levels in EBC, and the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire were evaluated. We also obtained average of PM10, CO, SO2 and O3 levels during the period of the study by the State Institute of Ecology. RESULTS: We studied 103 children (51 asthmatics and 52 non-asthmatics). Cys-LTs levels were higher in asthmatics than in non-asthmatics (77.3 ± 21.6 versus 60.3 ± 26.8 pg/ml; p = 0.0005). Also, Cys-LTs levels in children with intermittent asthma were lower than in children with persistent asthma (60.4 ± 20.4 versus 84.7 ± 19.2 pg/ml; p = 0.0001). In the multiple regression model, factors associated with levels of Cys-LTs were passive smoking (ß = 13.1, p 0.04) and to be asthmatic (ß = 11.5, p 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Cys-LTs levels are higher in asthmatic children than in healthy children in a contaminated city and its levels are also associated with passive smoking.

[Lidocaine with epinephrine effect on arterial tension of children]. / Efecto de la lidocaína con epinefrina en la tensión arterial de una población infantil.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the effect of the epinephrine-lidocaine anaesthetic solutions on blood pressure in healthy children subjected to short dentistry procedures. METHODS: we performed a prospective, observational and analytical study in 39 children with 7 and 8 years of age, who were subjected to dentistry treatment of short duration in a dentistry service. The blood pressure was measured in three times: previous to the infiltration of lidocaine to 2 % with epinephrine; 10 minutes later; at the end of procedure. RESULTS: the systolic blood pressure, like diastolic and the average increased after 10 minutes of the infiltration with the anesthetic-vasoconstrictor solution, but this difference was not significant (p = 0.39, 0.14 and 0.40). We observed an increase of the systolic (6.0 mm Hg, 95 % CI = 4.6-7.5, F = 14.0, p = 0.0001), diastolic (9.9 mm Hg, 95 % CI = 7.3-12.5; F = 26.0, p = 0.0001) and average arterial tension (7.3 mm Hg, 95 % IC = 5.8-8.8; F = 23, p = 0.0001) to the 10 minutes after the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: the use of the epinephrine-lidocaine anaesthetic solutions does not have significant effect on the blood pressure of children subjected to short dentistry procedures.