The Role of Inflammatory Biomarkers in the Management of Children with Asthma

Making decision on asthma as an inflammatory disease is done mostly on the airways function and the patient symptoms which most of them are nonspecific and subjective. Also, the children are not able to express their signs and collaboration in examination of the lungs function. Evaluation of serum level inflammatory biomarkers can be useful in assessment of the response to treatment and severity of asthma. In this regard, we aimed to examine the changes of serum levels of biomarkers which may occur as a result of treatment in children with asthma.
This study was conducted in 2017 and 54 children who referring to the respiratory clinic of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz city (Iran), were studied by convenience sampling method. To evaluate the changes of biomarkers (Immunoglobulin E, Eosinophil, Periostin and Eosinophil Cationic Protein), 5ml peripheral blood samples were drawn before and after the treatment period of six-month. They were measured by ELISA method. The data were analyzed by SPSS software ver.16.0 using descriptive statistics and Paired Sample t test.
The mean age of the children was 6.27±2.25 years. There was a significant difference between the studied biomarkers before and after treatment (P>0.05) and the serum level of Immunoglobulin E, Eosinophil, Periostin and Eosinophil Cationic Protein was reduced after receiving the treatment.
The biomarkers serum levels in the children was reduced after the end of the treatment period. Thus, in this study, the role of selective biomarkers in asthma management was confirmed. The physicians could decide about the stop or continuation of the treatment by measuring their serum levels.