Zinc status among children with bronchial asthma in central child's teaching hospital/Baghdad

Abstract

Background:Pediatric asthma is a syndrome of lung dysfunction with an imbalance between the forces that maintain airway patency and those forces that operate to narrow or close the pediatric airway. Zinc has been supposed to have anti-oxidant, anti- apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects in the organism . Zinc deficiency is suspected to play a role in the pathogenesis, control, and severity of allergic, skin and airway diseases.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between zinc serum level and bronchial asthma( its duration and severity).

Patients and methods:  A prospective case –control study was conducted at the central Child teaching hospital in Baghdad in a period extended for six months from 15th March  to 15th September  , 2016.       47 children from ages   2  to 12 years (mean age 5.6year ) of both gender who were known cases of asthma were enrolled in the study,  matched in age and gender  with the control group of 47 healthy children without history of chronic disease. The zinc concentrations in serum were measured in both cases and controls.

Results:A total of 94 children were included, 47 patients who were asthmatic (22 males& 25 females). Mean age of children with asthma and control group children was 5.6 year . Body mass index percentile was higher in asthmatic patients (p 0.001). The study shows that asthmatic children significantly more likely to have family history of asthma compared to control group (p<0.001). in this study the meanconcentrations of zinc are lower in asthmatic children(67.4µg/dl) incomparison tocontrols(86.1µg/dl).  And  a  significant correlation between serum zinc level with each of asthma severity and use of steroids and bronchodilator , (p < 0.001) for each.There was no significant association between age , gender, Body mass index(BMI) family history and duration of asthma with the low serum zinc level . (p 0.923, 0.478, 0.343 and 0.138 respectively).

Conclusion:Serum zinc level is lower in patients with bronchial asthma regardless their age and gender, and serum zinc level has significant relation to the severity of asthma and the use of steroid.