High basophil allergen sensitivity (CD-sens) is associated with severe allergic asthma in children
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 04/06/2012
Clinical Article
Konradsen JR et al. – Cat–allergic children with problematic severe asthma have higher sensitivity to cat allergen, as measured by CD–sens, compared with children with controlled asthma. This suggests that CD–sens could be used as an additional marker for identifying children with the most severe allergic asthma.
Methods- Cat–allergic children (6–18yr) with problematic severe asthma (n=11) according to GINA were compared with eleven age–matched children with controlled, but persistent asthma (CA).
- The protocol included standardized questionnaires, asthma control test (ACT), spirometry, methacholine challenges, measurement of FENO, IgE, cat IgE and IgG antibodies, and analysis of CD–sens (CD63–expression) by flow cytometry.
- The 11 cat–allergic children with PA had a significantly lower ACT score (p<0.001), reduced FEV1 (p=0.04), and increased numbers of blood eosinophils (p=0.03) compared with the 11 children with CA.
- The former exhibited a higher CD–sens to cat (p=0.02).
- No significant differences were detected with respect to FENO (p=0.17), IgE (p=0.84), cat IgE (p=0.12), and the major cat–allergen rFel d 1 (p=0.30).
- CD–sens significantly correlated with ACT (p=0.002, r=–0.63) and FENO (p=0.01, r=0.55).
- No significant differences between PA and CA were found regarding IgG antibodies to rFel d 1.
