Correlation between asthma control test, periostin, thymic matrix lymphoietin and eosinophilic cationic protein and the severity of the disease in children with allergic asthma

doi:10.3877/cma.j.issn.1674-6902.2025.06.024

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective

To investigate the correlation of the Children′s Asthma Control Test (C-ACT) score, serum periostin, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels and the severity of illness in children with allergic asthma.

Methods

A total of 105 children with allergic asthma admitted to our hospital from March 2023 to April 2025 were selected as subjects. They were divided into a control group (70 cases, FEV₁% ≥ 60%) and an observation group (35 cases, FEV₁%<60%) based on the percentage of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁%) of predicted value. The basic clinical characteristics, disease and respiratory function characteristics, C-ACT scores, and serological indicators were compared between the two groups. Correlation was analyzed using Pearson correlation and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

The observation group had higher proportions of combined allergy history (82.9% vs. 34.3%), respiratory rate (29.74±1.39) breaths/min vs. (29.33±1.31) breaths/min, serum periostin (19.49±6.46) ng/ml vs. (16.81±4.84) ng/ml, TSLP(42.59±9.48) pg/ml vs. (37.53±10.04) pg/ml, and ECP (19.08±6.08) μg/L vs. (16.80±4.11) μg/L compared to the control group (P<0.05). The observation group had lower FEV₁% (50.49±2.91) vs. (76.99±4.75) and C-ACT scores (18.79±2.19) vs. (19.98±2.36) than the control group (P<0.05). Pearson analysis showed that FEV₁% was positively correlated with C-ACT score (r=0.634, 0.586, 0.721, P<0.001) and negatively correlated with serum periostin (r=-0.578, -0.509, -0.614), TSLP (r=-0.592, -0.531, -0.663), and ECP (r=-0.601, -0.527, -0.756) in both groups (P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that lower C-ACT score (OR=0.755, 95%CI: 0.653~0.873) and higher serum periostin (OR=1.083, 95%CI: 1.016~1.153), TSLP (OR=1.065, 95%CI: 1.029~1.102), and ECP (OR=1.091, 95%CI: 1.016~1.171) levels were closely associated with disease severity (P<0.05).

Conclusion

In children with allergic asthma, the C-ACT score is negatively correlated with disease severity, while serum periostin, TSLP, and ECP levels are positively correlated with disease severity.

Key words: Allergic asthma, Children′s asthma control test, Periostin, Thymic stromal lymphopoietin, Eosinophil cationic protein

Xiaoqiong Wei, Qing Liu, Lijuan Yu, Zhihong Tan, Lan He, Yanmei Chang, Yong He. Correlation between asthma control test, periostin, thymic matrix lymphoietin and eosinophilic cationic protein and the severity of the disease in children with allergic asthma[J]. Chinese Journal of Lung Diseases(Electronic Edition), 2025, 18(06): 996-1001.

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临床资料	观察组(n＝35)	对照组(n＝70)	t/χ²/Z值	P值
首次发作年龄[岁，M(Q₁，Q₃)]	4(4，4)	4(3，4)	0.026	0.979
发作频率[次/年，M(Q₁，Q₃)]	5(5，6)	5(5，6)	0.719	0.472
发病至就诊时间[d，M(Q₁，Q₃)]	3(2，3)	3(2，3)	0.183	0.855
典型症状[n(%)]
喘息	32(91.43)	60(85.72)	0.274	0.600
咳嗽	32(91.43)	61(87.14)	0.106	0.745
气促	31(88.57)	52(74.29)	2.875	0.090
胸闷	22(62.86)	43(61.43)	0.732	0.392
典型体征[n(%)]
双肺哮鸣音	34(97.14)	61(87.14)	1.672	0.196
呼气相延长	31(88.57)	56(80.00)	1.207	0.272
呼吸频率[次/min，(±s)]	29.74±1.39	29.33±1.31	2.121	0.035
心率[次/min，(±s)]	113.17±2.84	112.75±3.15	0.943	0.347
FEV₁%(±s)	50.49±2.91	76.99±4.75	42.827	0.000

临床资料	观察组(n＝35)	对照组(n＝70)	t/χ²/Z值	P值
首次发作年龄[岁，M(Q₁，Q₃)]	4(4，4)	4(3，4)	0.026	0.979
发作频率[次/年，M(Q₁，Q₃)]	5(5，6)	5(5，6)	0.719	0.472
发病至就诊时间[d，M(Q₁，Q₃)]	3(2，3)	3(2，3)	0.183	0.855
典型症状[n(%)]
喘息	32(91.43)	60(85.72)	0.274	0.600
咳嗽	32(91.43)	61(87.14)	0.106	0.745
气促	31(88.57)	52(74.29)	2.875	0.090
胸闷	22(62.86)	43(61.43)	0.732	0.392
典型体征[n(%)]
双肺哮鸣音	34(97.14)	61(87.14)	1.672	0.196
呼气相延长	31(88.57)	56(80.00)	1.207	0.272
呼吸频率[次/min，(±s)]	29.74±1.39	29.33±1.31	2.121	0.035
心率[次/min，(±s)]	113.17±2.84	112.75±3.15	0.943	0.347
FEV₁%(±s)	50.49±2.91	76.99±4.75	42.827	0.000

临床指标	观察组(n＝35)	对照组(n＝70)	t值	P值
C-ACT评分[分，(±s)]	18.79±2.19	19.98±2.36	3.539	0.000
C-ACT分级[n(%)]			8.379	0.015
未控制	22(62.86)	28(40.00)
部分控制	13(37.14)	36(51.43)
完全控制	0	6(8.57)
血清骨膜蛋白[ng/ml，(±s)]	19.49±6.46	16.81±4.84	3.377	0.001
TSLP[ng/ml，(±s)]	42.59±9.48	37.53±10.04	3.502	0.001
ECP[μg/L，(±s)]	19.08±6.08	16.80±4.11	3.214	0.002

临床指标	观察组(n＝35)	对照组(n＝70)	t值	P值
C-ACT评分[分，(±s)]	18.79±2.19	19.98±2.36	3.539	0.000
C-ACT分级[n(%)]			8.379	0.015
未控制	22(62.86)	28(40.00)
部分控制	13(37.14)	36(51.43)
完全控制	0	6(8.57)
血清骨膜蛋白[ng/ml，(±s)]	19.49±6.46	16.81±4.84	3.377	0.001
TSLP[ng/ml，(±s)]	42.59±9.48	37.53±10.04	3.502	0.001
ECP[μg/L，(±s)]	19.08±6.08	16.80±4.11	3.214	0.002

组　别	例数	相关性系数	C-ACT评分	血清骨膜蛋白	TSLP	ECP
观察组	35	r值	0.721	－0.614	－0.663	－0.756
		P值	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
对照组	70	r值	0.586	－0.509	－0.531	－0.527
		P值	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000

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