Mary Kämpe1, Maria Vosough1, Andrei Malinovschi2, Mohammad Alimohammadi3, Kjell Alving4, Bertil Forsberg5, Jan Lötvall6, Roelinde Middelveld7,8, Barbro Dahlén9, Christer Janson1. 1. a Department of Medical Sciences: Respiratory, Allergy and Sleep Research , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden. 2. b Department of Medical Sciences: Clinical Physiology , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden. 3. c Department of Medical Sciences: Dermatology , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden. 4. d Department of Women's and Children's Health , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden. 5. e Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden. 6. f Krefting Research Centre, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition , Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg , Göteborg , Sweden. 7. g The Centre for Allergy Research , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden. 8. h The Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden. 9. i Department of Medicine, Unit for Heart and Lung disease , Karolinska institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Allergic and non-allergic asthma are viewed as separate entities, despite sharing similarities. The aims of this study were to determine differences in symptoms from the upper airways and the skin in allergic and non-allergic asthma. The secondary aims were to identify childhood risk factors and to compare quality of life in the two asthma groups. METHODS: This cohort (age 17-76 years) consisted of 575 subjects with allergic or non-allergic asthma and 219 controls. The participants participated in an interview, spirometry, FeNO, skin prick test, and responded to the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. RESULTS: Self-reported allergic rhinitis was significantly more common in both allergic and non-allergic asthma (82.3 and 40.7%) groups compared with the controls. The prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) was similar in both asthma groups. Eczema was significantly more common in both asthmatic groups (72.3 and 59.8%) than controls (47.0%) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.012). Severe respiratory infection in childhood and parental allergy were risk factors for both allergic and non-allergic asthma groups. Quality of life was significantly lower in non-allergic than allergic asthma groups (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Concomitant symptoms from the upper airways and the skin were significantly more common in both allergic and non-allergic asthma. This indicates that non-allergic asthma has a systemic component with similarities to what is found in allergic asthma. There were similarities in the childhood risk factor pattern between the two types of asthma but asthma-related quality of life was lower in the non-allergic asthma group.
BACKGROUND:Allergic and non-allergic asthma are viewed as separate entities, despite sharing similarities. The aims of this study were to determine differences in symptoms from the upper airways and the skin in allergic and non-allergic asthma. The secondary aims were to identify childhood risk factors and to compare quality of life in the two asthma groups. METHODS: This cohort (age 17-76 years) consisted of 575 subjects with allergic or non-allergic asthma and 219 controls. The participants participated in an interview, spirometry, FeNO, skin prick test, and responded to the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. RESULTS: Self-reported allergic rhinitis was significantly more common in both allergic and non-allergic asthma (82.3 and 40.7%) groups compared with the controls. The prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) was similar in both asthma groups. Eczema was significantly more common in both asthmatic groups (72.3 and 59.8%) than controls (47.0%) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.012). Severe respiratory infection in childhood and parental allergy were risk factors for both allergic and non-allergic asthma groups. Quality of life was significantly lower in non-allergic than allergic asthma groups (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Concomitant symptoms from the upper airways and the skin were significantly more common in both allergic and non-allergic asthma. This indicates that non-allergic asthma has a systemic component with similarities to what is found in allergic asthma. There were similarities in the childhood risk factor pattern between the two types of asthma but asthma-related quality of life was lower in the non-allergic asthma group.
Authors: Viiu Blöndal; Andrei Malinovschi; Fredrik Sundbom; Anna James; Roelinde Middelveld; Karl A Franklin; Bo Lundbäck; Christer Janson Journal: Clin Exp Allergy Date: 2020-10-25 Impact factor: 5.018