Scientific Reports (Jan 2021)

Respiratory tract infections in children with allergic asthma on allergen immunotherapy during influenza season

  • Yuyun Li,
  • Dongming Wang,
  • Lili Zhi,
  • Yunmei Zhu,
  • Lan Qiao,
  • Yan Zhu,
  • Xin Hu,
  • Qian Wang,
  • Yuan Cao,
  • Yan Gao,
  • Yousheng Chen,
  • Zeng Zhang,
  • Fangjie Bi,
  • Guangxing Yan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-81558-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 6

Abstract

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Abstract To describle how respiratory tract infections (RTIs) that occurred in children with allergic asthma (AA) on allergen immunotherapy (AIT) during an influenza season. Data including clinical symptoms and treatment history of children (those with AA on AIT and their siblings under 14 years old), who suffered from RTIs during an influenza season (Dec 1st, 2019–Dec 31st, 2019), were collected (by face to face interview and medical records) and analyzed. Children on AIT were divided into 2 groups: stage 1 (dose increasing stage) and stage 2 (dose maintenance stage). Their siblings were enrolled as control. During the study period, 49 children with AA on AIT (33 patients in stage 1 and 16 patients in stage 2) as well as 49 children without AA ( their siblings ) were included. There were no significant differences in occurrences of RTIs among the three groups (p > 0.05). Compared with children in the other two groups, patients with RTIs in stage 2 had less duration of coughing and needed less medicine. Children on AIT with maintenance doses had fewer symptoms and recovered quickly when they were attacked by RTIs, which suggested that AIT with dose maintenance may enhance disease resistance of the body.