Background Spastic cerebral palsy (CP) patients have lower pulmonary functions than normal healthy individuals as they usually have decreased chest wall mobility, deviation of optimal chest wall structure, and weak respiratory muscles.Purpose The aim was to study the effect of incentive spirometer exercise (ISE) on spirometry pulmonary function in children with spastic CP.Materials and methods Fifty spastic CP patients were randomly divided into two groups: the study group consisted of 30 patients and the control group consisted of 20 patients. Both groups were following and doing physiotherapy in the National Institute of Neuromotor System, the study group added incentive spirometer exercise to their physiotherapy program. We assessed forced expiratory volume at first second (FEV 1 %), the forced vital capacity (FVC %), FEV 1 / FVC ratio, and maximal mid-expiratory flow before and after 4 weeks of exercise and lastly after another 4 weeks of exercise.
ResultsThe authors found significant improvements in FEV 1 %, FVC %, and maximal mid-expiratory flow in the study group, but not in the control group.
ConclusionThe authors support the use of ISE for improving pulmonary functions in children with spastic CP.
Purpose: Bronchial asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children with complex pathogenesis, characterized by airway hyper-responsiveness, obstruction, mucus hyperproduction, and airway remodeling. Autophagy is important for cellular physiology, and the ATG5 rs510432 has recently been implicated in several fundamental characteristics of childhood asthma pathogenesis and may play a role in the disease progression. This study aims to assess the expression of ATG5 messenger RNA (mRNA) according to rs510432 polymorphism in asthmatic children and to evaluate their possible relation with the development of the disease.Methods: ATG5 mRNA expression and rs510432 polymorphism were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction in 57 asthmatic children patients and 46 healthy controls.Results: ATG5 level was significantly higher in asthmatic children than in controls and a significant increase in the frequency of TT and CC genotype of ATG5 rs510432 gene polymorphism was found in asthmatic patients when compared to control subjects (p < 0.001; and p = 0.01, respectively), and there was a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of CT genotype of ATG5 rs510432 gene polymorphism in asthmatic patients when compared to control subjects (p < 0.001).Conclusion: ATG5 rs510432 gene polymorphism plays an important role in childhood asthma pathogenesis.
Background: Aeroallergens and food allergens play a key role in the pathogenesis of asthma; they are the target for future immunotherapy worldwide. Food allergens have been studied often in Egypt, but data are defective concerning the prevalent Egyptian aeroallergens that can be affected by the climatic conditions in Egypt. So, our study aimed to explore the dominant sensitizing aeroallergens in Egyptian patients with bronchial asthma.Methods: Cross-sectional study performed on 122 Egyptian asthmatic patients. Sera from all patients were examined by enzyme allegro sorbent test (EAST) method for specific IgE to a panel of 18 inhaled allergens.Results: Positive specific IgE to aeroallergens was detected in 43.44% of our patients. German cockroach (18.9%) was the most frequent sensitizing aeroallergen amongst our asthmatic patients, followed by the fungal allergens (15.57%) and house dust mites (HDMs) (13.93%).
Conclusion:German cockroach, fungi, and house dust mite are the chief sensitizing aeroallergens in Egyptian asthmatic patients.
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