Objective: Asthma is an inflammatory airway condition and the most common chronic disease in children. However, there is a lack of biological markers for asthma, especially in children. This study aimed to analyze the changes in periostin levels in children with uncontrolled asthma after 12 months of optimized management. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the changes in symptoms, exacerbations, and other biomarkers after 12 months of follow-up.
Methods: This was an observational, prospective study of children aged 5 to 14 with uncontrolled asthma who visited the Hospital Materno Infantil of Badajoz's Allergy Unit between September 2015 and June 2016. At the first visit and after a 12-month follow-up, lung function, asthma control test (ACT/cACT), quality of life by PAQLQ (Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire), blood eosinophils, total and specific IgE, and serum periostin levels were assessed. Periostin levels were also analyzed in a control group.
Results: After the 12-month follow-up, the percentage of symptoms, the proportion of patients with FEV1 <80%, and the levels of blood eosinophils decreased, whereas ACT and PAQLQ increased. Children with uncontrolled asthma showed high serum periostin concentrations on their first visit (901.48 ng/ml), which decreased after 12 months (67.93 ng/ml) (p<0.001). In the control group, periostin levels were 56.12 ng/ml. The sensitivity and specificity of periostin were 77.8% and 54.8%, respectively, for the diagnosis of controlled and uncontrolled asthma.
Conclusion: Our study showed that periostin levels in children with uncontrolled asthma decreased with the correct treatment after asthma control.
Keywords: asthma; biomarkers; children; eosinophils; periostin.