Calcium-sensing receptor protein as a prognostic predictor of asthma formation and exacerbation in young children

Abstract

Asthma remains the most common non-communicable disease among children, which often has a chronic course and leads to disability. Particular attention should be paid to the diagnosis of asthma in young children. To date, the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is considered to be one of the specific markers in the development of bronchial obstructive diseases. Purpose - to assess the level of CaSR protein and its significance in preschool children with asthma. Materials and methods. The study included 37 patients divided into 3 groups. The Group 1 - children with mild persistent asthma (n=20), the Group 2 - children with moderate persistent asthma (n=17), the Group 3 - almost healthy children (n=20). The study of CaSR protein levels in the blood serum of patients with asthma was performed twice - in the first 2 days of clinical manifestations of the disease and when remission was achieved. The level of CaSR protein in the blood serum was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All statistical analyses were performed using StatSoft STATISTICA version 8.0 (Tulsa, Oklahoma) and MedCalc version 17.2 statistical software. Results. There was no significant difference in CaSR protein levels between the Group 1 and the Group 2. The level of CaSR protein was significantly lower in the Group 1 and the Group 2 both in the period of acute and remission than in the control group. The level of the marker in the period of disease flare-up in the Group 1 and the Group 2 was significantly lower than in children of the same groups in the period of remission. Conclusions. In all patients with asthma, the level of CaSR protein at the acute stage of the disease is lower than at the remission stage, which is obviously associated with its redistribution from the peripheral blood to the smooth muscle of the lungs. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.