Abstract
Background
Blood eosinophil count is a well-established biomarker of atopic diseases in older children and adults. However, its predictive role for atopic diseases in preschool children is not well established.
Objective
To investigate the association between blood eosinophil count in children and development of atopic diseases up to age 6 years.
Methods
We investigated blood eosinophil count at age 18 months and 6 years in relation to recurrent wheeze/asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and allergic sensitization during the first 6 years of life in the two Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood cohorts (n = 1111). Blood eosinophil count was investigated in association with remission of existing atopic disease, current atopic disease, and later development of atopic disease.
Results
Blood eosinophil count at 18 months was not associated with current wheezing/asthma or atopic dermatitis, while blood eosinophil count at age 6 years was associated with increased occurrence of current wheezing/asthma (OR = 1.1; 1.04–1.16, p = .0005), atopic dermatitis (OR = 1.06; 1.01–1.1, p = .02), and allergic rhinitis (OR = 1.11; 1.05–1.18, p = .0002). Blood eosinophil count at 18 months did not predict persistence or development of recurrent wheeze/asthma or atopic dermatitis at age 6 years.
Conclusion
Blood eosinophil count at 18 months was not associated with current wheezing/asthma or atopic dermatitis and did not predict persistence or development of disease. This implies a limited clinical role of blood eosinophil levels in early-life atopic disease and questions the clinical value of blood eosinophil counts measured in toddlers as a predictive biomarker for subsequent atopic disease in early childhood.
Blood eosinophil count is a well-established biomarker of atopic diseases in older children and adults. However, its predictive role for atopic diseases in preschool children is not well established.
Objective
To investigate the association between blood eosinophil count in children and development of atopic diseases up to age 6 years.
Methods
We investigated blood eosinophil count at age 18 months and 6 years in relation to recurrent wheeze/asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and allergic sensitization during the first 6 years of life in the two Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood cohorts (n = 1111). Blood eosinophil count was investigated in association with remission of existing atopic disease, current atopic disease, and later development of atopic disease.
Results
Blood eosinophil count at 18 months was not associated with current wheezing/asthma or atopic dermatitis, while blood eosinophil count at age 6 years was associated with increased occurrence of current wheezing/asthma (OR = 1.1; 1.04–1.16, p = .0005), atopic dermatitis (OR = 1.06; 1.01–1.1, p = .02), and allergic rhinitis (OR = 1.11; 1.05–1.18, p = .0002). Blood eosinophil count at 18 months did not predict persistence or development of recurrent wheeze/asthma or atopic dermatitis at age 6 years.
Conclusion
Blood eosinophil count at 18 months was not associated with current wheezing/asthma or atopic dermatitis and did not predict persistence or development of disease. This implies a limited clinical role of blood eosinophil levels in early-life atopic disease and questions the clinical value of blood eosinophil counts measured in toddlers as a predictive biomarker for subsequent atopic disease in early childhood.
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
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Artikelnummer | e14050 |
Tidsskrift | Pediatric Allergy and Immunology |
Vol/bind | 34 |
Udgave nummer | 11 |
Antal sider | 10 |
ISSN | 0905-6157 |
DOI | |
Status | Udgivet - 2023 |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:All funding received by COPSAC is listed on www.copsac.com . The Lundbeck Foundation (Grant no. R16‐A1694); The Ministry of Health (Grant no. 903516); Danish Council for Strategic Research (Grant no. 0603‐00280B) and The Capital Region Research Foundation have provided core support to the COPSAC research center. This project was supported by the China Scholarship Council (Grant no. 202006790042) to L. Yang.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.