Effect of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on pulmonary function and inflammatory biomarkers in healthy and asthmatic children

Environmental tobacco smoke [ETS] exposure is a well-known hazard for children we describe here the relationship between ETS exposure as assessed by urinary cotinine excretion and both lung function tests and asthma markers in children with asthma. 80 children 5-14 years of age with confirmed diagnosis of asthma were assessed. Pulmonary function, asthma biomarkers [eosinophilic count, eosinophilic cationic protein and total serum IgE] and urinary cotinine, were measured.Urinary cotinine concentration in asthmatic children was significantly correlated with symptoms score, eosinophilic count, eosinophilic cationic protein and total serum IgE. It was negatively correlated with both FVC and FEV1. Pulmonary function tests were significantly reduced in ETS exposed asthmatic children when compared to non exposed asthmatics. Measurement of urinary cotinine levels provides further evidence of association between ETS exposure and pulmonary morbidity in children with asthma. Persistent efforts are needed to stop exposure of both asthmatic and healthy children to environmental tobacco smoke

Lactose malabsorption in persistent diarrhea

One hundred and forty infants below 2 years of age suffering from diarrhea [70 persistent and 70 acute cases] were included in this study. Laboratory manifestations of lactose malabsorption [acidic stool and/or positive clinitest] were found in 40.7% of total diarrhea cases. The magnitude of this problem was 52.8% and 28.6% in persistent and acute diarrhea cases, respectively. The majority of cases with positive stool tests [45% of the acute and 54.1% of the persistent] were between 6 and 12 months of age. Malnutrition was significantly predominant in persistent cases with positive stool tests. Although there was no significant difference in feeding pattern between persistent and acute cases with positive stool tests, but it was observed that the majority of persistent cases with laboratory manifestations of lactose malabsorption were non-breast fed. The frequency distribution of various enteropathogens among diarrhea cases with lactose malabsorption was 25%, 20%, 15% in acute cases and 8.1%, 18.9% and 5.4% in persistent ones for rota virus, EPEC and protozoa [GL, EH], respectively