Effects of suplatast tosilate on airway inflammation and interleukin-5 in asthmatic rats / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of suplatast tosilate (IPD) on the airway inflammation and expression of interleukin-5 in asthmatic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (4-week- old) were randomly assigned to five groups: placebo control, untreated asthma, budesonide(BUD)-treated asthma , early or late IPD intervention group (n=10 rats each). Asthmatic mode was prepared by ovalbumin sensitizion and challenge. Inflammatory cells and the percentage of EOS were detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The lung tissues were removed to detect the lung histomorphology. Gene expression of IL-5 was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Levels of interleukin 5 (IL-5) in BALF were measured using ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The inflammatory cells and the percentage of EOS in BALF, IL-5 levels in BALF and IL-5 mRNA expression in the lung tissues were obviously higher in the untreated asthma group than the control group (P<0.05), while the parameters in the IPD or BUD-treated asthma groups were significantly lower than the untreated asthma group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>IPD treatment can alleviate airway inflammation in asthmatic rats, possibly through inhibiting IL-5 mRNA transcripts.</p>

Results of skin prick test in young children with wheezing or allergic diseases / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the characteristics of allergic reactions to common aeroallergens in young children with wheezing or allergic diseases by examining the results of skin prick test in children under 5 years old.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 196 children under 5 years old, from a district of Changsha City sampled between September 1 to December 31, 2010, were assigned into two groups according to the presence of wheezing or allergic diseases: allergen screening (n=102) and control (n=94). Skin prick tests were performed on both groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rate of skin prick test in the allergen screening group was 61.8% (63/102), and this was significantly higher than in the control group (9.6%, 9/94; P<0.05). In the allergen screening group, the positive rate of skin prick test in children with both recurrent wheezing and allergic rhinitis was significantly higher than in children with wheezing alone (P<0.05). The frequency of wheezing was positively correlated with a positive skin prick test (r=0.91; P<0.05). The positive rate of skin prick test for mites was significantly higher than for other aeroallergens (24.2% vs 3.5%; P<0.05) in the allergen screening group. Skin prick testing of the children for dermatophagoides farinae showed a higher positive rate than for dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (50.0% vs 14.7%; P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Wheezing in early childhood may be associated with the occurrence of asthma. Skin prick testing contributes to the diagnosis of allergic diseases and assessment of allergic reactions to aeroallergens in children with wheezing.</p>