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. 2017 Mar 27:10:83-98.
doi: 10.2147/JAA.S128319. eCollection 2017.

Factors predicting persistence of early wheezing through childhood and adolescence: a systematic review of the literature

Carlos E Rodríguez-Martínez  1 , Monica P Sossa-Briceño  2 , Jose A Castro-Rodriguez  3
Affiliations

Factors predicting persistence of early wheezing through childhood and adolescence: a systematic review of the literature

Carlos E Rodríguez-Martínez et al. J Asthma Allergy. .

Abstract

Background: For the early identification of persistent asthma symptoms among young children with recurrent wheezing, it would be helpful to identify all available studies that have identified at least one factor for predicting the persistence of early wheezing. The objective of the present study was to perform a systematic review of all studies that have identified factors that predict the persistence of symptoms among young patients with recurring wheezing.

Methods: A systematic review of relevant studies was conducted through searching in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL, and SCOPUS databases up to June 2016. Studies that identified predictors of persistence of wheezing illness among young children with recurrent wheezing were retrieved. Two independent reviewers screened the literature and extracted relevant data.

Results: The literature search returned 649 references, 619 of which were excluded due to their irrelevance. Five additional studies were identified from reference lists, and 35 studies were finally included in the review. Among all the identified predictors, the most frequently identified ones were the following: family asthma or atopy; personal history of atopic diseases; allergic sensitization early in life; and frequency, clinical pattern, or severity of wheezing/symptoms.

Conclusion: Parental asthma (especially maternal), parental allergy, eczema, allergic rhinitis, persistent wheezing, wheeze without colds, exercise-induced wheeze, severe wheezing episodes, allergic sensitization (especially polysensitization), eosinophils (blood or eosinophil cationic protein in nasal sample), and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide were risk factors predicting persistence of early wheezing through school age. All of them are included in conventional algorithms, for example, Asthma Predictive Index and its modifications, for predicting future asthma.

Keywords: birth cohort; continuance; infantile asthma; longitudinal studies; persistence; prognosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flow diagram showing selection of studies reporting factors predicting persistence of early wheezing throughout childhood and adolescence.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Assessment of quality of included studies. Notes: STROBE: No: not reported; N/A: not applicable to the study; Yes: reported in the article. Abbreviation: STROBE, Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology.
Figure 3
Figure 3
OR and 95% confidence interval for predictors of persistence of symptoms among young patients with recurring wheezing: (A) parental asthma and allergic diseases; and (B) gender, eczema, and rhinitis. Note: For this figure, we chose only the highest OR for each parameter among the studies. Abbreviations: OR, odds ratio; AR, allergic rhinits; AD, atopic dermatitis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
OR and 95% confidence interval for predictors of persistence of symptoms among young patients with recurring wheezing: (A) allergic sensitization measured by skin prick test; (B) allergic sensitization measured by specific IgE; and (C) other allergic measurements. Note: For this figure, we chose only the highest OR for each parameter among the studies. Abbreviations: OR, odds ratio; HDM, house dust mite; EPC, endothelial progenitor cell; FeNO, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide.
Figure 5
Figure 5
OR and 95% confidence interval for predictors of persistence of symptoms among young patients with recurring wheezing (patterns of wheezing). Note: For this figure, we chose only the highest OR for each parameter among the studies. Abbreviation: OR, odds ratio.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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