https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7134-9045
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Abstract
Introduction
Data are scarce on hs-CRP as a biomarker for airway inflammation in pediatric asthma. We aimed to examine correlation between hs-CRP and asthma control levels.
Methods
Children with physician-diagnosed asthma, ages 6–15 years, were enrolled. GINA-2016 criteria were used to assess the level of asthma control. The relationships between serum hs-CRP and each of asthma control measures (asthma control criteria, spirometry, impulse oscillometry, eosinophil counts and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were assessed.
Results
150 asthmatic children were enrolled; 52 (35%) had well controlled asthma, 76 (51%), and 22 (14%) children had partly controlled and uncontrolled asthma, respectively. Median (IQR) values of hs-CRP were 0.47 (0.1, 1.67) mg/L in well controlled, 0.30 (0.1, 1.83) mg/L in partly controlled, and 2.74 (0.55, 3.74) mg/L in uncontrolled asthma (p = 0.029). Using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, area under the curve for hs-CRP (mg/L) to discriminate between uncontrolled and (controlled + partly controlled) asthma was 0.67 (95% CI 0.55, 0.80) and a cutoff 1.1 mg/L of serum hs-CRP level had a sensitivity of 68.1% with specificity of 67.97%. In two groups of hs-CRP (<3 mg/L) and hs-CRP (≥3 mg/L), high hs-CRP group had higher proportion of uncontrolled asthmatic children (p = 0.03).
Conclusion
We observed higher serum hs-CRP values in children with uncontrolled asthma, suggesting its potential role as a biomarker of asthma control.
Authors’ contributions
AK: data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing. KRJ: Data analysis, review of manuscript. JS: Data analysis, review of manuscript. RL: Data analysis, review of manuscript. R Lodha: study design, data analysis, manuscript preparation and review. SKK: study design, data analysis, manuscript review.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Funding
The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.