Prevalence of genetic and environmental factors in childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis patients

Introduction:
Asthma and allergic rhinitis are common respiratory diseases in children, with complex aetiologies involving genetic and environmental factors.

Aim:
This work was to identify the genetic and environmental risk factors’ prevalence in asthma and allergic rhinitis in paediatric patients.

Material and methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 paediatric patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis. Univariate analysis was used to examine the associations between various factors, including age, weight status, personal history of allergies, CD14 polymorphisms, and environmental exposures.

Results:
The study included 120 paediatric patients (65 males, 55 females; mean age: 6.4 ±3.5 years) with asthma and allergic rhinitis. The results showed significant associations between asthma and allergic rhinitis and several factors, including age (c² = 34.48, p < 0.001), weight status (c² = 63.1, p < 0.001), personal history of allergies (c² = 54.1, p < 0.001), and CD14 polymorphisms (-159C/T, -550C/T, and 2758A/G) (c² = 23.5, p < 0.001; c² = 20.63, p < 0.001; c² = 24.5, p < 0.001, respectively). Environmental factors, including paternal and maternal education levels, parental history of asthma and allergies, caesarean section delivery, home renovation history, exposure to pets, household dust, pollen, plush toys, cold air exposure, long-term family smoking, number of cars near the residence, outdoor activities, winter gas heating, and natural gas use, were also significantly more prevalent in our patients.

Conclusions:
This study highlights the importance of both genetic and environmental factors in the development of childhood asthma and AR. The identification of specific genetic polymorphisms and environmental risk factors can provide information about the development of personalized prevention and treatment strategies for these diseases.