Respiratory tract infections and lung function in early life – “Cling together, swing together”

BackgroundEarly-life respiratory tract infections could affect airway obstruction and increase asthma risk in later life. However, results from previous studies are inconsistent.ObjectiveWe examined the associations of early-life respiratory tract infections with lung function and asthma in school-aged children.MethodsThis study among 5197 children born between April 2002 and January 2006 was embedded in a population-based prospective cohort study. Information on physician-attended upper and lower respiratory tract infections until age 6 years (categorised into ≤ 3 and >3–6 years) was obtained by annual questionnaires. Spirometry measures and physician-diagnosed asthma were assessed at age 10 years.ResultsUpper respiratory tract infections were not associated with adverse respiratory outcomes. Compared with children without lower respiratory tract infections ≤3 years, children with lower respiratory tract infections ≤3 years had a lower FEV1, FVC, FEV1:FVC and forced expiratory flow at 75% of FVC (FEF75) (Z-score (95% CI): ranging from −0.22 (−0.31 to –0.12) to −0.12 (−0.21 to −0.03)) and an increased risk of asthma (OR (95% CI): 1.79 (1.19 to 2.59)). Children with lower respiratory tract infections >3–6 years had an increased risk of asthma (3.53 (2.37 to 5.17)) only. Results were not mediated by antibiotic or paracetamol use and not modified by inhalant allergic sensitisation. Cross-lagged modelling showed that results were not bidirectional and independent of preschool wheezing patterns.ConclusionEarly-life lower respiratory tract infections ≤3 years are most consistently associated with lower lung function and increased risk of asthma in school-aged children.

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Lower respiratory tract infections in early life are associated with obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis during childhood in a large birth cohort

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab198 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maria J Gutierrez ◽

Gustavo Nino ◽

Jeremy S Landeo-Gutierrez ◽

Miriam R Weiss ◽

Diego A Preciado ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽

Sleep Apnea ◽

Respiratory Tract ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Early Life ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract ◽

Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Obstructive Sleep ◽

Tract Infections

Abstract Study Objectives Several birth cohorts have defined the pivotal role of early lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in the inception of pediatric respiratory conditions. However, the association between early LRTI and the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children has not been established. Methods To investigate whether early LRTIs increase the risk of pediatric OSA, we analyzed clinical data in children followed during the first 5 years in the Boston Birth Cohort (n = 3114). Kaplan–Meier survival estimates and Cox proportional hazards models adjusted by pertinent covariates were used to evaluate the risk of OSA by the age of 5 years between children with LRTI during the first 2 years of life in comparison to those without LRTI during this period. Results Early life LRTI increased the risk of pediatric OSA independently of other pertinent covariates and risk factors (hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.05). Importantly, the association between LRTI and pediatric OSA was limited to LRTIs occurring during the first 2 years of life. Complementarily to this finding, we observed that children who had severe respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis during infancy had two times higher odds of OSA at 5 years in comparison with children without this exposure (odds ratio, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.12 to 3.88). Conclusions Children with severe LRTIs in early life have significantly increased risk of developing OSA during the first 5 years of life. Our results offer a new paradigm for investigating novel mechanisms and interventions targeting the early pathogenesis of OSA in the pediatric population.

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Joint effects of traffic-related air pollution and lower respiratory tract infections on lung function in children from a French birth cohort

ISEE Conference Abstracts ◽

10.1289/isee.2016.4459 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nicolas Bougas* ◽

Fanny Rancière ◽

Malika Viola ◽

Isabelle Momas

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Lung Function ◽

Respiratory Tract ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract ◽

Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Joint Effects ◽

Tract Infections

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Lung function at school age in infants with lower respiratory tract infections with and without wheezing: a birth cohort study.

10.22541/au.163667937.76022399/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Franca Rusconi ◽

Enrico Lombardi ◽

Elena Spada ◽

Sonia Brescianini ◽

Martina Culasso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Function ◽

Respiratory Tract ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract ◽

Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

School Age ◽

Z Score ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Tract Infections

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), in the first 2 years of life and lung function at school age in the Piccolipiù birth cohort (Italy). Methods: Data on LRTI (doctor diagnosis of bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia) and wheezing (≥3 episodes or a diagnosis of asthmatic bronchitis) in the first 2 years of life were obtained from parental questionnaires. Lung function was assessed at 7 years by spirometry and forced volume vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75%, and at 75% of FVC (FEF25-75 and FEF75) were reported as z-scores. The associations between LRTI and spirometric variables were estimated with linear regression models. Results: Among 877 children studied, 22.1% had LRTI only, 5.4% wheezing only, 13.2% had both, and 59.3% had neither LRTI nor wheezing. Children with LRTI had lower FVC and FEV1 than children without (z-score differences: -0.18 (95% Confidence Intervals, -0.31; -0.06) and -0.15 ( 0.27; -0.03)). When children were stratified by history of both LRTI and wheezing, there was no association between LRTI only and spirometric values. Conversely, having had both LRTI and wheezing was inversely associated with all lung function measures: z-score differences of -0.24 ( 0.42; -0.07); -0.42 (-0.59; -0.24); -0.25 (-0.41; -0.08); -0.37 (-0.54; -0.21); -0.30 (-0.46; -0.14) for FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75 and FEF75, respectively. Conclusion: Infants with wheezing and LRTI, but not those with LRTI only, had reduced lung function at school-age.

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Early Life Microbiota and Respiratory Tract Infections

Cell Host & Microbe ◽

10.1016/j.chom.2020.07.004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 223-232

Author(s):

Wouter A.A. de Steenhuijsen Piters ◽

Justyna Binkowska ◽

Debby Bogaert

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Tract ◽

Early Life ◽

Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Tract Infections

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Lung function prior to viral lower respiratory tract infections in prematurely born infants

Thorax ◽

10.1136/thx.2010.148023 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 66 (6) ◽

pp. 468-473 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

S. B. Drysdale ◽

T. Wilson ◽

M. Alcazar ◽

S. Broughton ◽

M. Zuckerman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Function ◽

Respiratory Tract ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract ◽

Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Tract Infections ◽

Prematurely Born Infants

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Early-life risk factors for reversible and irreversible airflow limitation in young adults: findings from the BAMSE birth cohort

Thorax ◽

10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215884 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. thoraxjnl-2020-215884

Author(s):

Gang Wang ◽

Inger Kull ◽

Anna Bergström ◽

Jenny Hallberg ◽

Petra Um Bergström ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Young Adults ◽

Risk Factor ◽

General Population ◽

Respiratory Tract ◽

Early Life ◽

Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Airflow Limitation ◽

Tract Infections

We aimed to determine prevalence and early-life risk factors for reversible and irreversible airflow limitation in young adults from the general population. Among young adults in their 20s, the prevalence was 5.3% for reversible airflow limitation and 2.0% for irreversible airflow limitation. While parental asthma was the only risk factor for development of reversible airflow limitation, the risk factors for development of irreversible airflow limitation were current asthma, childhood respiratory tract infections and asthma, and exposure to air pollution.

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Chlamydia trachomatis during pregnancy and childhood asthma-related morbidity: a population-based prospective cohort

European Respiratory Journal ◽

10.1183/13993003.01829-2019 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 1901829

Author(s):

Evelien R. van Meel ◽

Marina Attanasi ◽

Vincent W.V. Jaddoe ◽

Irwin K.M. Reiss ◽

Henriëtte A. Moll ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽

Lung Function ◽

Respiratory Tract ◽

Forced Vital Capacity ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract ◽

Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Vital Capacity ◽

Population Based ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections ◽

Tract Infections

IntroductionChlamydia trachomatis is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease and although infection during pregnancy is associated with neonatal complications, long-term respiratory consequences are unknown. We aimed to determine whether C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy is associated with asthma-related symptoms across childhoodMethodsThis study among 2475 children and their mothers was embedded in a population-based prospective cohort study. Maternal urine samples were tested for C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy. Questionnaires provided information on childhood physician-attended lower respiratory tract infections and wheezing, and current asthma at age 10 years. Lung function was measured by spirometry at age 10 years.ResultsThe prevalence of C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy was 3.2% (78 out of 2475). C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy was not associated with lower respiratory tract infections until age 6 years, but was associated with a higher odds of wheezing in children until age 10 years (OR 1.50 (95% CI 1.10–2.03)). C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy was associated with an increased odds of asthma (OR 2.29 (95% CI 1.02–5.13)), and with a lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity and forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity (z-score difference −0.28 (95% CI −0.52– −0.04) and −0.24 (95% CI −0.46– −0.01), respectively) in children at age 10 years. The observed associations were only partly explained by mode of delivery, gestational age at birth or birthweight.ConclusionsC. trachomatis infection during pregnancy is associated with increased odds of wheezing, asthma and impaired lung function. The causality of the observed associations and potential underlying mechanisms need to be explored.

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