Anaphylaxis was seen significantly more in boys. Most of the reactions occurred at home. Foods were the most frequent cause. Epinephrine, the first-line treatment of anaphylaxis, was administered in only a third of the children.

Turkish version of C-ACT is an accurate and reliable tool to evaluate asthma control in children aged 4-11 years. Its widespread use may facilitate appropriate assessment of asthma control and may lead to decrease the number of uncontrolled patients.

Pollen concentrations in the atmosphere of Istanbul, a city located between two continents, has been monitored for 1 year as part of a larger research program. The sampling sites were located in two different continents: the Asian part (AS) and the European part (EP). The sampling was performed in AS and EP of the city by using Hirst type volumetric method, and pollen grains of 58 and 62 taxa were identified in the two parts, respectively. The pollen spectrum reflected the floristic diversity of the region. The main pollen producers at the sites were characterized by some allergenic pollen and were identified as Cupressaceae/Taxaceae, Urticaceae, Pistacia sp., Quercus sp., Platanus sp., Fraxinus sp., and Xanthium sp. These pollen types contributed to the total pollen sum with a percentage of more than 80% at both monitoring sites. The highest amount of pollen grains was recorded in April. The greatest number of species was recorded in May, when 42 types (AS) and 44 types (EP) were present.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the value of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in both blood and tracheal aspirate (TA) samples that were obtained within 24 h after birth for predicting bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) development in premature infants. Material and methods: Premature infants, who were born before 32 weeks of gestation, weighing less than 1,500 g, and admitted with respiratory distress between September 2009 and December 2010, were enrolled. Tracheal aspirate samples and serum were obtained from all infants on the first day of admittance for evaluation of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels using ELISA. Results: The study included 102 premature babies of whom 31 (30%) had BPD diagnosed in the follow-up. Mild, moderate and severe BPD was diagnosed in 10 (32%), 14 (45%) and seven (23%) infants, respectively. Both serum and TA sample pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-␣, IL-1␤, IL-6) levels were significantly higher, and antiinflammatory cytokine (IL-10) levels were significantly lower in infants who developed BPD compared with those who had no BPD. No significant differences were detected in either serum or TA sample pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in preterm infants with BPD in terms of BPD severity. Cut-off values of both serum and TA sample pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokine concentrations for predicting BPD were also determined. Conclusion: It is suggested that higher serum and TA pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-␣, IL-1␤, IL-6) concentrations, along with lower anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) concentrations, might be used for predicting the development of BPD in premature infants with respiratory distress at birth.

There is a need to improve and standardise health care for asthma (asthma management policies) in schools. The implementation of asthma education programmes for teachers and other staff responsible for pupils' health should result in better control of this common disease.