Family history of allergy and symptoms of atopic dermatitis

Three hundred sixty five children and hundred thirty nine adults with atopic dermatitis were divided into three groups. Group A included patients with negative family history of allergy; group B--allergy history in one parent or his family; group C--allergy in both parents or their families. It was found that total IgE level was higher in patients of group C in comparison with group A. Similarly, bronchial asthma and/or rhinitis coexisted more frequently, incidence of urticaria was higher and its onset earlier in patients of group C. The results noted in patients of group B occupied middle position between those in group A and group C. Results related to the incidence of RAST positive reactions and multiple sensitivity were similar but the differences were lower. Radioimmunologic assays were performed only in part of the tested patients.     

Serum level of specific IgG antibody for aspergillus and its association with severity of asthma in asthmatic children

Aspergillosis is one of the frequent causes of exacerbation of asthma depending on the geographical regions. The specific serum IgG level for aspergillus is a major diagnostic criterion in aspergillosis.Ninety-six asthmatic patients, with mean age of 5.4 ± 3.0 years who were referred to the asthma clinic of the Mofid Children's Hospital, were enrolled in this study. Serum specific IgG for aspergillus was measured and its association with severity of asthma was evaluated.Nineteen asthmatic patients (10 females and 9 males) had aspergillus IgG antibody. Among them, severe persistent asthma and moderate persistent asthma were detected in 5 and 13 cases, respectively, whereas only one patient suffered from mildpersistent asthma. A total of 36.5% of the 96 patients had a history of atopy, while 26% had allergic rhinitis. There was an association between the severity of asthma and the presence of aspergillus IgG antibody. Moreover, the positivity for aspergillus IgG antibody was higher in older patients.Our results indicated an association between aspergillus antibody level and severity of asthma. It could be recommended that the IgG titer for aspergillus is measured in pediatric patients with asthma, whereas co-morbidity of aspergillosis and asthma increases the risk of asthma exacerbation.     

Dopamine beta-hydroxylase deficiency

Idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (ICEP) is characterized by subacute or chronic respiratory and general symptoms, alveolar and/or blood eosinophilia, and peripheral pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Eosinophilia is present in most cases, usually in excess of 1000/mm³. In absence of significant blood eosinophilia, a diagnosis of ICEP is supported by the demonstration of bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophilia. ICEP is typically associated with eosinophil counts higher than lymphocyte counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage. ICEP is a rare disorder of unknown cause. Its exact prevalence remains unknown. ICEP may affect every age group but is rare in childhood. It is twice as frequent in women as in men. One third to one half of the ICEP patients have a history of asthma. The mainstay of treatment of ICEP is systemic corticosteroids. Response to oral corticosteroid therapy is dramatic and has led to the consideration of corticosteroid challenge as a diagnostic test for ICEP. Nevertheless, relapses or development of severe asthma are frequent when tapering or withdrawing treatment. Long-term oral corticosteroid therapy is necessary in up to half of the patients.     

Asthma Heredity,Cord Blood IgE and Asthma-Related Symptoms and Medication in Adulthood: A Long-Term Follow-Up in a Swedish Birth Cohort

Cord blood IgE has previously been studied as a possible predictor of asthma and allergic diseases. Results from different studies have been contradictory, and most have focused on high-risk infants and early infancy. Few studies have followed their study population into adulthood. This study assessed whether cord blood IgE levels and a family history of asthma were associated with, and could predict, asthma medication and allergy-related respiratory symptoms in adults. A follow-up was carried out in a Swedish birth cohort comprising 1,701 consecutively born children. In all, 1,661 individuals could be linked to the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and the Medical Birth Register, and 1,227 responded to a postal questionnaire. Cord blood IgE and family history of asthma were correlated with reported respiratory symptoms and dispensed asthma medication at 32–34 years. Elevated cord blood IgE was associated with a two- to threefold increased risk of pollen-induced respiratory symptoms and dispensed anti-inflammatory asthma medication. Similarly, a family history of asthma was associated with an increased risk of pollen-induced respiratory symptoms and anti-inflammatory medication. However, only 8% of the individuals with elevated cord blood IgE or a family history of asthma in infancy could be linked to current dispensation of anti-inflammatory asthma medication at follow-up. In all, 49 out of 60 individuals with dispensed anti-inflammatory asthma medication at 32–34 years of age had not been reported having asthma at previous check-ups of the cohort during childhood. Among those, only 5% with elevated cord blood IgE and 6% with a family history of asthma in infancy could be linked to current dispensation of anti-inflammatory asthma medication as adults. Elevated cord blood IgE and a positive family history of asthma were associated with reported respiratory symptoms and dispensed asthma medication in adulthood, but their predictive power was poor in this long-time follow-up.     

Asthma in the elderly: an epidemiological survey.

A random sample of one in eight people aged 70 and over living at home in a south Wales town was surveyed to establish the prevalence of asthma. Subjects attended a screening clinic, where spirometry before and after an inhalation of salbutamol, skin prick testing, blood count, and sputum examination were carried out and a questionnaire answered. Those in whom asthma seemed at all likely were subsequently examined in detail in a chest clinic. Out of 485 subjects eligible, 418 (86.2%) were screened. Twelve (2.9%) had current asthma, of whom three had not previously been diagnosed as asthmatic and four were being treated but were unaware of the diagnosis. A further 15 (3.6%) had mild asthma or a history of the disease, giving a total prevalence of any history of asthma of 6.5%. Only one of the subjects who did not attend the screening clinic was known to have asthma, suggesting that the overall prevalence did not differ greatly from this figure. It was found that the disease might start or remit at any age. Thus in the elderly current asthma is more prevalent in men than women (5.1% compared to 1.8%) and in terms of spirometry is more severe. Two underlying disease processes may perhaps exist that fulfil criteria for asthma in the elderly, one causing sputum eosinophilia and the other a form of chronic bronchitis with reversible airways obstruction.     

支气管哮喘患者疾病认知状况调查及控制水平的影响因素分析

目的:调查支气管哮喘患者疾病认知状况,并分析控制水平的影响因素。方法:选取2018年7月~2020年7月期间贵州医科大学附属医院诊治的支气管哮喘患者100例,采用面对面问卷调查的方式调查所有患者疾病认知状况。采用哮喘控制测试(ACT)对患者哮喘控制水平进行评估。根据ACT结果将患者分为哮喘未控制组(n=57)和哮喘控制组(n=43)。分析哮喘控制水平的影响因素。结果:支气管哮喘患者对疾病认知相关问题的回答正确率均在60%以上,但仅有12%的患者使用过峰流速仪。本研究中100例患者均完成ACT,其中完全控制17例,控制良好26例,未控制57例,分别占比17.00%、26.00%、57.00%,哮喘控制率为43.00%。由单因素分析显示,支气管哮喘患者的哮喘控制水平与性别、家庭月收入、文化程度、家族史、吸烟史、居住处是否空气污染、病程、哮喘用药依从性、使用吸入性糖皮质激素治疗、抑郁情况、焦虑情况有关(P<0.05)。多因素Logistic回归分析显示:焦虑情况、抑郁情况、居住处空气污染、吸烟史是支气管哮喘患者哮喘控制水平的危险因素,而哮喘用药依从性、使用吸入性糖皮质激素治疗是支气管哮喘患者哮喘控制水平的保护因素(P<0.05)。结论:支气管哮喘患者对疾病有一定的正确认知,但仍未达到理想状态。哮喘控制水平受多种因素影响,可根据相关影响因素做出针对性的干预措施,以改善支气管哮喘控制水平。     

ACOS与同期哮喘和COPD患者住院情况调查分析

目的:分析ACOS与同期哮喘和COPD患者住院情况。方法:采取回顾性方法,收集6年内住院ACOS与同期哮喘和COPD患者年龄、性别、所患疾病种类和住院费用等临床资料,分别进行统计和分类汇总。结果:2009-2014年共有1327哮喘患者住院治疗,其中合并COPD有128人,即ACOS占哮喘患者的9.6%。同期收治的慢性支气管炎1989人、肺气肿1634人,但行肺功能检查确诊COPD的仅367人,其中合并哮喘同样为128人,即ACOS占COPD患者的34.9%。性别方面,ACOS组男性最多,仅与哮喘组比较,P0.05;年龄,ACOS介于哮喘和COPD之间;入住ICU、机械通气治疗,ACOS组最少,仅与COPD组比较,P0.05;人均花费最低,与哮喘和COPD组比较,P0.05;死亡情况ACOS组仅有1人死亡,死亡率3组中最低,但P0.05;共存病情况ACOS在合并II型呼吸衰竭和过敏性鼻炎方面,与哮喘相似;在合并肺炎和支气管扩张方面与COPD相似;在合并I型呼吸衰竭、冠心病、糖尿病和肝、肾功能异常方面,三组比较,组间差异无显著统计学意义,P0.05;只有合并高血压,ACOS组明显低于哮喘和COPD组,而且组间差异有显著统计学意义,P0.05。结论:与哮喘和COPD相比,ACOS有其独特的特点。     

支气管扩张合并支气管哮喘患者的病原菌检测及危险因素分析

目的分析支气管扩张合并支气管哮喘患者的病原菌及危险因素。方法选取湖州市中心医院115例支气管扩张合并支气管哮喘患者作为观察组,另选取同期110例健康体检者作为对照组。分析患者病原菌的组成、耐药性及发病危险因素。结果观察组患者送检痰样本经痰培养,阳性检出者68例,阳性率为59.13%(68/115)。全部样本共分离出104株病原菌,其中革兰阴性菌92株(以铜绿假单胞菌最多,占54.81%),革兰阳性菌8株,真菌4株。药敏试验结果表明革兰阴性菌对复方新诺明、头孢曲松、左旋左氧氟沙星和阿莫西林/克拉维酸等药物的耐药性均较高,对妥布霉素、亚胺培南、头孢哌酮/舒巴坦和哌拉西林的耐药性较低。Logistic回归分析显示,吸烟史、药物过敏史、食物过敏史、过敏性鼻炎、哮喘、过敏性肺炎、慢性支气管炎及慢性阻塞性肺疾病均是支气管扩张伴支气管哮喘发生的危险因素。结论支气管扩张合并支气管哮喘患者其病原菌以革兰阴性菌为主,吸烟史、药物过敏史、食物过敏史、过敏性鼻炎等是支气管扩张伴支气管哮喘发生的危险因素。     

Prevalence,natural history,and relationship of wheezy bronchitis and asthma in children. An epidemiological study

Three randomly selected groups of 7-year-old schoolchildren in Melbourne with mild wheezy bronchitis, with moderate wheezy bronchitis, and with asthma were compared with a control group, and the patients followed up until 10 years of age. Comparison showed that if there was any significant difference between the study groups and the controls it was usually present in all these study groups. It was considered that children with wheezy bronchitis and asthma were from the same population with the same underlying basic disorder, and that there was a wide spectrum in various aspects of the natural history of the disorder.About 11% of all children aged 10 years had had some asthmatic episodes. Seventy per cent. of these children ceased having asthma before 10 years of age, while about 30% (3·7% of the whole community) continued to have episodes. There was a highly significant correlation between early age of onset, the frequency of episodes in the first year of symptoms, and the persistence of asthmatic episodes up to 10 years of age.Ten per cent. of all children with asthmatic episodes continued to have symptoms as severely at 10 years as at an earlier period. In this group the onset of symptoms was almost always before 3 years of age, there was a high frequency of episodes in the first year of symptoms, and boys and girls were affected in the ratio of 7:3.     

Factors in childhood as predictors of asthma in adult life.

OBJECTIVE--To determine which factors measured in childhood predict asthma in adult life. DESIGN--Prospective study over 25 years of a birth cohort initially studied at the age of 7. SETTING--Tasmania, Australia. SUBJECTS--1494 men and women surveyed in 1991-3 when aged 29 to 32 (75% of a random stratified sample from the 1968 Tasmanian asthma survey of children born in 1961 and at school in Tasmania). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Self reported asthma or wheezy breathing in the previous 12 months (current asthma). RESULTS--Of the subjects with asthma or wheezy breathing by the age of 7, as reported by their parents 25.6% (190/741) reported current asthma as an adult compared with 10.8% (81/753) of subjects without parent reported childhood asthma (P < 0.001). Factors measured at the age of 7 that independently predicted current asthma as an adult were being female (odds ratio 1.57; 95% confidence interval 1.19 to 2.08); having a history of eczema (1.45; 1.04 to 2.03); having a low mild forced expiratory flow rate (interquartile odds ratio 1.40; 1.15 to 1.71); having a mother or father with a history of asthma (1.74 (1.23 to 2.47) and 1.68 (1.18 to 2.38) respectively); and having childhood asthma (1.59; 1.10 to 2.29) and, if so, having the first attack after the age of 2 (1.66; 1.17 to 2.36) or having had more than 10 attacks (1.70; 1.17 to 2.48). CONCLUSION--Children with asthma reported by their parents in 1968 were more likely than not to be free of symptoms as adults. The subjects who had more severe asthma (especially if it developed after the age of 2 and was associated with reduced expiratory flow), were female, or had parents who had asthma were at an increased risk of having asthma as an adult. These findings have implications for the treatment and prognosis of childhood asthma, targeting preventive and educational strategies and understanding the onset of asthma in adult life.     

A major outbreak of asthma associated with a thunderstorm: experience of accident and emergency departments and patients' characteristics. Thames Regions Accident and Emergency Trainees Association.

OBJECTIVE--To investigate the time course of an epidemic of asthma after a thunderstorm, characteristics of patients affected, and the demand on emergency medical resources. DESIGN--Study of registers and records in accident and emergency departments and questionnaire to staff. SETTING--London area. SUBJECTS--All patients presenting at 12 accident and emergency departments with asthma or other airway disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Numbers of patients, clinical features, information on shortage of resources--equipment, drugs and staff. RESULTS--The epidemic had a sudden onset on 24 June 1994; 640 patients with asthma or other airways disease attended during 30 hours from 1800 on 24 June, nearly 10 times the expected number. Over half (365) the patients were aged 21 to 40 years. A history of hay fever was recorded in 403 patients; for 283 patients this was the first known attack of asthma; a history of chronic obstructive airways disease was recorded in 12 patients. In all, 104 patients were admitted (including five to an intensive care unit). Several departments ran out of equipment or drugs, called in additional doctors, or both. CONCLUSIONS--This study supports the view that this epidemic was larger than previously reported epidemics and the hypothesis that "thunderstorm associated asthma'' is related to aeroallergens. Demands on resources were considerable; a larger proportion of patients needing intensive care would have caused greater problems.     

High mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) in Asthma: comparison of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and healthy controls

High mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) has been implicated as an important mediator in the pathogenesis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the expression of HMGB1 in plasma and sputum of patients with asthma and COPD across disease severity needs to be defined. The objective of the study was to examine the induced sputum and plasma concentrations of HMGB1 in COPD and asthmatic patients to determine differences in HMGB1 levels between these diseases and their relationship with airway obstruction and inflammatory patterns. A total of 147 participants were enrolled in this study. The participants included 34 control subjects, 61 patients with persistent asthma (according to the Global Initiative for Asthma [GINA] guidelines) and 47 patients with stable COPD (stratified by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] status). Spirometry was performed before sputum induction. HMGB1 levels in induced sputum and plasma were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sputum and plasma concentrations of HMGB1 in patients with asthma and COPD were significantly higher than concentrations in control subjects and were significantly negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)), FEV(1) (% predicted) in all 147 participants. The levels of HMGB1 in induced sputum of COPD patients were significantly higher than those of asthma patients and healthy controls (P < 0.001). This difference was present even after adjusting for sex, age, smoking status, daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids and disease severity. There were no significant differences in HMGB1 levels between patients with eosinophilic and noneosinophilic asthma. HMGB1 levels in asthmatic and COPD patients were positively correlated with neutrophil counts and percentage of neutrophils. In multivariate analysis, the two diseases (asthma and COPD) and disease severity were independent predictors of sputum HMGB1, but not smoking, age or use of inhaled corticosteroids. In conclusion, these data support a potential role for HMGB1 as a biomarker and diagnostic tool for the differential diagnosis of asthma and COPD. The importance of this observation on asthma and COPD mechanisms and outcomes should be further investigated in large prospective studies.     

Prevalence of asthma in Melbourne schoolchildren: changes over 26 years.

OBJECTIVES--To determine the prevalence of asthma in the past 12 months in Melbourne schoolchildren aged 7, 12, and 15 years and to compare the prevalence of a history of asthma with that of 26 years ago. DESIGN--A questionnaire on respiratory symptoms was distributed to children for completion by parents and return to the school. Subjects were selected by a stratified cluster design. SETTING--Government and non-government schools in the greater Melbourne area, Australia. SUBJECTS--10,981 children. Parents completed questionnaires for 3324 children aged 7, 2899 aged 12, and 2968 aged 15. The overall response rate was 90%. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--History of wheeze or asthma in the past 12 months and in lifetime. RESULTS--The prevalences of wheeze in the past 12 months were 23.1%, 21.7%, and 18.6% for 7, 12, and 15 year olds respectively. A history of wheeze was more common in boys than in girls at age 7 (443/1711 v 324/1614) and 12 (418/1767 v 322/1718) but not at age 15. Overall, 78% (1548) of those reporting wheeze also reported a history of asthma and 83% (1611) had used a bronchodilator. The prevalence of a history of asthma among 7 year olds was 46% compared with 19.1% in the 1964 survey, an increase of 141%. CONCLUSIONS--The current prevalence of asthma in Melbourne schoolchildren is high and has risen substantially over the past 26 years.     

Association between haptoglobin groups and hereditary predisposition for bronchial asthma

Haptoglobin (Hp) groups were investigated in 148 patients with bronchial asthma. A significant (p less than 0.005) deviation from the expected Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, with a decreased frequency of heterozygotes, was observed among patients with a family history of asthma. This deviation was more pronounced among patients with adult onset of asthma. The presence or absence of atopy had no significant influence on the phenotype distribution.     

Association of the TNF-α-308 (G→A) polymorphism with self-reported history of childhood asthma

Asthma is a complex disease involving genetic and environmental aetiology. The tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genes have been implicated in asthma pathogenesis. This study investigated the association of a G-308A variant of TNF-alpha and an insertion/deletion (I/D) variant of ACE with a self-reported history of childhood asthma, in two population groups. At Northwick Park Hospital, London, 1,811 pregnant women attending for antenatal care were recruited. Participants with a self-reported history of childhood asthma, determined by a researcher-administered questionnaire, and controls with no personal or family history of asthma, of UK/Irish (cases n=20; controls n=416) and South Asian (cases n=6; controls n=275) origin were used in this study. Participants were genotyped for the TNF-alpha-308 and ACE I/D variants by a PCR-RFLP and PCR approach. The TNF-alpha-308 allele 2 (-308A) was significantly associated with self-reported childhood asthma in the UK/Irish (Odds ratios (OR): 2.6; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.1-6.2; P=0.03) but not in the South Asian population. The ACE DD genotype was not associated with childhood asthma in either population group. Gametic phase disequilibrium between the TNF-alpha-308 and ACE I/D variants was significantly different from zero in UK/Irish cases (delta=0.09; P=0.034). The TNF-alpha308 allele 2 or a linked major histocompatibility complex (MHC) variant may be a genetic risk factor for childhood asthma in the UK/Irish sample.     

Identification and management of adults with asthma prone to exacerbations: can we do better?

Exacerbations are a major cause of morbidity in asthma and generate high health costs. Identification and management of adults with asthma who are prone to exacerbations is of considerable importance as by this means it should be possible to reduce the number of patients who currently experience inadequately controlled disease. Exacerbations occur most frequently in individuals with severe disease. Other risk factors include a history of a recent exacerbation, co-morbidities such as a raised body mass index and psychological problems as well as current smoking and lower socio-economic status. A low FEV₁, particularly if combined with the additional information from questionnaires helps predict exacerbations. Despite the association between these risk factors and exacerbations it remains difficult to accurately predict in an individual patient with asthma whether they will go on to develop an exacerbation in the future. A major aim of international guidelines on the management of asthma is to prevent future risks of exacerbations, but some patients, particularly those with severe disease, respond poorly to current therapies and continue to experience recurrent exacerbations. There is an unmet need for improved management strategies and drugs targeted at preventing asthma exacerbations. Monitoring induced sputum eosinophil cell counts is helpful in preventing exacerbations in some patient with severe asthma. Future developments are likely to include the identification of better biomarkers to predict exacerbations or the cause of exacerbations, augmentation of the immunological response to viruses at the time of the exacerbation, the use of telemonitoring in patients with severe asthma and the development of improved therapies targeted at reducing exacerbations.     

Illness in the family

OBJECTIVE: To update reports of increases in the rates of admission to hospital and death from asthma among children and young adults in Canada during the 1970s by examining data for the 1980s. DESIGN: Age-standardized rates were calculated from data for people less than 35 years of age at the time of death from asthma, bronchitis or other respiratory conditions (from 1980 through 1989) and at the time of admission to hospital for treatment of these diseases (from 1980 through 1988). Standardized mortality ratios were calculated with the death rate for Canada as the expected rate. SETTING: Data for all of Canada were examined by sex, age group and province. RESULTS: In contrast to sharp increases in the rate of death from asthma observed from 1970 through the early 1980s among Canadians less than 35 years of age, the rate showed no net change between 1980 and 1989; on average, there were 58 deaths in this age group annually. During the decade, the rates of death from asthma were three times higher in Saskatchewan and Alberta than in Newfoundland. The national rate of hospital admission/separation for asthma, however, increased greatly, though changes in the rate varied by province. Increases of over 90% were observed in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, whereas little overall change occurred in Newfoundland, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The rate of hospital admission/separation for asthma was highest in Prince Edward Island and lowest in Manitoba and British Columbia. Although the rates of hospital admission/separation for asthma among boys aged less than 15 years of age were consistently 50% higher than those among girls of that age, the rate among people aged 15 through 34 years was twice as high among females as males. A slight decrease in the rates of death from respiratory conditions other than asthma was observed, together with a steady, fairly substantial decline in the rates of hospital admission/separation for these conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Whether there is any relation between increases in rates of admission to hospital for asthma and trends in the rates of death from asthma during the decade will require further study.     

Asthma as a link between chest illness in childhood and chronic cough and phlegm in young adults

The link between chest illnesses in childhood to age 7 and the prevalence of cough and phlegm in the winter reported at age 23 was investigated in a cohort of 10 557 British children born in one week in 1958 (national child development study). Both pneumonia and asthma or wheezy bronchitis to age 7 were associated with a significant excess in the prevalence of chronic cough and phlegm at age 23 after controlling for current smoking. This excess was largely attributable to the association of cough and phlegm at age 23 with a history of asthma or wheezy bronchitis from age 16. When adjustment was made for recent wheezing, current cigarette consumption, previous smoking habit, and passive exposure to smoke the relative odds of cough or phlegm, or both, in subjects with a history of childhood chest illness was 1·11 (95% confidence interval 0·97 to 1·27). When analysed separately asthma, wheezy bronchitis, and pneumonia up to age 7 did not significantly increase the prevalence of either cough or phlegm.The explanation for the observed continuity between chest illness in childhood and respiratory symptoms in later life may lie more in the time course of functional disturbances related to asthma than in the persistence of structural lung damage.     

Relationship between Breathlessness and Anxiety in Asthma and Bronchitis: A Comparative Study

Two personality testing forms, the Eysenck Personality Inventory Form A and the Cattell Self Analysis Form, were completed on 471 hospital patients who fell within the general diagnostic range of asthma, bronchitis, or both. Respiratory diagnoses were based on the standard M.R.C. questionary. All categories of patients showed a tendency towards neuroticism, anxiety, and introversion, and the scores were slightly higher for bronchitics than for asthmatics. Neuroticism and anxiety increased with increasing respiratory disability. Variations in these scores with age of onset of symptoms and length of history were small.     

Incidence of asthma in children in Tuzla Canton--Bosnia and Herzegovina

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases whose incidence shows constant growth in childhood. The objective of this work was to look into asthma incidence in children in relation to their age group and sex in a retrospective study, at Tuzla Canton area. The study comprised children of both sexes, age 0-14 who fell sick with asthma within the period from January 1st 2003 to December 31st 2007. The overall incidence and the incidence in relation to age group and sex was calculated as the number of children suffering from asthma, within the age group 0-14 years per 1000 children of the same age group in the Tuzla Canton. Asthma was diagnosed in 277 children (66.1% male and 33.9% female). The difference between asthma frequency in boys and girls was significant (chi2 = 56.16; df = 1; p < 0.0001). The average difference in proportion between the boys and girls was 32.2% (95% CI = 24.32-40.08). From this sample group the boys had a 3.8 times greater risk (OR = 3.79; %95 CI = 2.67-5.39) of contracting asthma. The average rate of incidence of asthma for both sexes in the observed period was 0.67/1000 (95% CI; 0.6-0.7; for boys 0.86/1000; for girls 0.47/1000). There was a statistically significantly higher incidence of asthma in boys in relation to girls (t = 6.3836, df = 32; p < 0.0001). The epidemiological data obtained could be useful for early detection and adequate treatment of children with asthma in the mentioned area.