Validity and Reliability of the Assessment Tool for Asthma (ATA) Questionnaire: the ATA Study.

OBJECTIVES: A multicenter trial was designed to validate the "Assessment Tools for Asthma (ATA)" questionnaire, a newly developed questionnaire, which evaluates both asthma control and risk factors associated with asthma control with a single instrument. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 810 cases from 14 clinics in 9 Turkish cities. The ATA questionnaire and Asthma Control Test (ACT) were administered. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the control status of 100 randomized cases. ATA is an eight-item physician-administered questionnaire. It comprises the following two sections-ATA1, assesses symptomatic control criteria, and the remaining section, queries the flare-up of asthma, control of comorbidities, treatment adherence, and inhaler technique. RESULTS: The mean scores for ATA1, ATA total, VAS, and ACT were 24.7±14.8, 53.8±19, 7.1±3, and 18.8±5.5, respectively. According to the ATA questionnaire, among all patients, 34.3% had controlled, 18.8% had partly controlled, and 46.9% had uncontrolled asthma. Furthermore, 16.6% patients had flare-ups between visits, 96.4% patients had uncontrolled comorbidity, 17% patients had irregular asthma treatment, and only 8.4% patients used the incorrect inhaler technique. The ATA questionnaire showed internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient=0.683). ACT, ATA1, and two specialists' evaluations using VAS correlated strongly with the ATA total scores (Spearman correlation coefficient (r) values: 0.776, 0.783, and 0.909, respectively; p-values: p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively). According to Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis, the cut-off value of ATA was 50 (sensitivity=84.4%, specificity=82.40%). CONCLUSION: The validated ATA questionnaire may be a practical tool for physicians in asthma management.

Upregulation of CD63 or CD203c alone or in combination is not sensitive in the diagnosis of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug intolerance.

BACKGROUND: The oral aspirin (ASA) provocation test is considered to be the gold standard in the diagnosis of ASA sensitivity. However, since it may be associated with severe adverse reactions, safer alternatives would be highly desirable. The basophil activation test has been proposed as such an alternative, but there is limited information about its usefulness. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of flow cytometric basophil activation in the diagnosis of ASA sensitivity. METHODS: Patients with ASA sensitivity (n = 18), patients with ASA tolerance (n = 12) and healthy volunteers (n = 12) were included in the study. A 2-day single-blind placebo-controlled oral ASA provocation test was performed on all patients. Basophil activation after lysine-ASA and diclofenac stimulation was measured by Flow-CAST (Buhlmann Laboratories) for CD63 and an allergenicity kit (Beckman Coulter) for CD203c. The results of CD63 and CD203c were compared within groups, and sensitivity and specificity of the assay were measured against oral ASA provocation. RESULTS: The highest sensitivity and specificity of CD63 were 33.3 and 79.2%, respectively, and of CD203c were 16.7 and 100%, respectively, for ASA. The highest sensitivity and specificity of CD63 were 16.7 and 91.7%, respectively, and of CD203c were 22.2 and 100%, respectively, fordiclofenac. Neither the addition of CD203c to CD63 nor the addition of diclofenac improves the overall sensitivity and specificity of CD63 to ASA. CONCLUSION: At present, basophil activation using CD63 and CD203c does not seem to be optimally sensitive for the diagnosis of ASA sensitivity.

Cellular allergen stimulation test with acetylsalicylic acid-lysine is not a useful test to discriminate between asthmatic patients with and without acetylsalicylic acid sensitivity.

BACKGROUND: The aspirin provocation test, considered to be the gold standard in the diagnosis of aspirin sensitivity, may be associated with severe adverse reactions; thus, alternative procedures with a higher safety profile are highly desirable. Although the cellular antigen stimulation test (CAST) has been proposed to be such an alternative, there is limited information about its clinical usefulness. OBJECTIVE: It was the aim of our study to evaluate the clinical usefulness of CAST in the diagnosis of aspirin sensitivity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with aspirin-sensitive asthma and/or nasal polyps (n = 40), patients with aspirin-tolerant asthma and/or nasal polyps (n = 13) and healthy volunteers (n = 26) were included. A 2-day, single-blind placebo-controlled oral aspirin provocation test was performed. In vitro release of cysteinyl leukotrienes (Cys-LTs) by peripheral blood leukocytes was measured after stimulation with both stimulation buffer and lysine aspirin (2.5 mg/ml) by CAST. RESULTS: Baseline Cys-LT levels were similar among the 3 groups. After lysine aspirin stimulation, the net increase in Cys-LTs was significantly higher in patients with aspirin sensitivity (median 91 pg/ml, interquartile range 22-206) compared with aspirin-tolerant patients (20 pg/ml, range 0-46) and healthy controls (23 pg/ml, range 0-71; p = 0.004). The assay had a sensitivity of 25%, a specificity of 92.3%, and positive and negative predictive values of 28.7 and 90.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although the leukocytes of patients with aspirin sensitivity produce higher amounts of Cys-LTs as measured by CAST, the low sensitivity and predictive values limit the clinical usefulness of this test in the diagnosis of aspirin sensitivity.

Safety of meloxicam in aspirin-hypersensitive patients with asthma and/or nasal polyps. A challenge-proven study.

BACKGROUND: The anti-inflammatory actions of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are thought to be due to inhibition of COX-2, whereas the side effects such as gastric damage and aspirin-induced asthma are mediated through inhibition of COX-1. Therefore, a new class of drugs with COX-2 selectivity may be well tolerated by patients with ASA/NSAIDs hypersensitivity. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether subjects with asthma and/or nasal polyps (NP) and analgesic intolerance proven by oral ASA provocation test tolerated the selective COX-2 inhibitor, meloxicam. METHODS: All subjects were first challenged with ASA using a 2-day, single-blind, placebo-controlled oral provocation test. Thereafter, the subjects showing positive response to ASA provocation underwent a single-blind, placebo-controlled challenge with a cumulative dose of 7.5 mg of meloxicam on 2 separate days. One and three fourths of the divided doses of placebo and the active drug were given at 1-hour intervals. Clinical symptoms, lung function, and blood pressure were monitored during these challenge protocols. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with asthma and/or NP (10 males and 11 females; mean age: 38.4 +/- 2.9 years) who reacted to ASA challenges were enrolled in the study. Response to ASA provocation was rhinitis + bronchospasm in 13, and extrabronchial reactions in 8 (isolated rhinitis in 3) patients. Mean PD(20) was 163.4 +/- 39.9 mg ASA among patients who reacted with bronchospasm to ASA. Only 1 patient reacted to meloxicam challenge at a cumulative dose of 7.5 mg. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that 7.5 mg of meloxicam is a safe alternative treatment for ASA-hypersensitive asthma and/or NP patients with proven hypersensitivity via oral ASA challenges.

Clinical aspects of the link between chronic sinonasal diseases and asthma.

Chronic sinonasal diseases (CSDs) are common comorbidity of asthma. The aim of this study was to assess comprehensively CSD in a population of asthma patients and determine whether the clinical factors in both diseases were related to each other. Eighty adult stable asthmatic patients with sinonasal symptoms (SNSs) of 3 months and who were nonresponsive to aggressive medical treatment were prospectively investigated. All patients underwent a detailed ear, nose, and throat examination and were evaluated by paranasal sinus computed tomography (PNS-CT). The severity of asthma was compared with SNS scores (SNSSs) and sinonasal involvement on PNS-CT. Asthma was severe in 12.5%, moderate in 55%, and mild in 32.5% of cases. There were 15 (18.7%) patients in stage 0, 16 (20%) patients in stage 1, 21 (26.2%) patients in stage 2, and 28 (35%) patients in stage 3 according to PNS-CT scoring. There was no correlation between asthma severity and CT stages, total opacification scores (TOSs), anatomic variations, and SNSSs. Although SNSSs were similar in patients with nasal polyps (NPs) and without NPs, patients with NPs showed significantly higher TOSs and CT stages (p < 0.05). The presence of NPs and age and duration of disease were related to severity of asthma (p < 0.05). Nonatopic asthmatic patients had both more severe asthma (p = 0.05) and more extensive CT findings (p = 0.01). The use of clinical symptoms alone is not very reliable in predicting the presence or severity of CSD. Therefore, SNSs should be supported with objective criteria such as nasal endoscopy and PNS-CT scan. Furthermore, sinonasal involvement may exist independently from severity of asthma.

[Pott's disease and different clinical presentations Pott's disease and different clinical presentations]. / Pott hastaligi ve farkli klinik prezentasyonlar.

Skeletal tuberculosis remains a potentially crippling disease in the developing world; particularly as it usually affects children and young adults. The spine is involved approximately 50% of bone and joint tuberculosis cases. The features of four spinal tuberculosis cases were looked over this article. Their ages were between 18 and 76 years. All of them were male and immunocompetent. Pain was the major complaint. There was no life-threatening neurological sign. Among them, a case who was admitted to the hospital with painful torticollis had upper cervical-lower thoracic spinal tuberculosis with psoas abscesses and peritoneal tuberculosis, but no pulmonary involvement. The other cases had thoracolumbal spinal tuberculosis with psoas abscesses and pulmonary tuberculosis of which miliary, chronic and new pulmonary tuberculosis. The whole diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis was made by radiographically-MRI and CT-. Specific antituberculous therapy with supportive care was begun and remarkable responses without surgical intervention were seen on them except miliary pulmonary tuberculosis case. The aim of this presentation was to emphasize the importance of early diagnosis so that adequate pharmacological treatment can be initiated to avoid serious complication.

[Tuberculosis prophylaxis]. / Tüberküloz Profilaksisi.

Besides definition and treatment of index cases, prophylaxis plays an important role in battling tuberculosis that is still health problem in developing countries. But, in clinical practice, there are differences about prophylaxis between countries and even in our country. Approaches to prophylaxis of developed countries and current situation of our country were looked over for this purpose.

Pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (four case reports).

Pulmonary involvement is one of the most common extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We studied four smear-positivepulmonary tuberculosis patients who had had RA for 2.5-12 years. Three of them were using corticosteroids at the time of diagnosis. The clinical, radiological and bacteriological features of all the patients were examined. We conclude that when patients with RA have symptoms related to pulmonary involvement, tuberculosis should be considered, particularly in developing countries.