Immunological Factors Associated with Adult Asthma in the Aseer Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of asthma is on the rise in Saudi Arabia. Data regarding the immunological profile of asthma in adults in the Aseer region, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, have not been well studied. Objectives: Our aim was to study the immunological factors associated with sensitization to asthma among adults in the Aseer region. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a nested case control design in a 1:1 ratio was conducted on a sample of adults attending primary health care centers in the Aseer region. The study used a validated Arabic version of the International study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. The presence of wheezing in the past 12 months was used as a proxy for bronchial asthma. Matched age and sex controls were selected. Both groups were tested for complete blood count (CBC), total and differential white blood cell (WBC) count including eosinophils, total immunoglobulin E (IgE) measurement, allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), and cytokine levels. Results: The present study included 110 cases and 157 age- and sex-matched controls. Rye wheat was found to be a significant outdoor sensitizing agent ((odds ratio) OR = 5.23, 95% CI: 1.06–25.69). Indoors, house dust mites Dermatophagoides petronyssinus (OR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.04–3.99) and Dermatophagoides farinae (OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.09–5.75) were significant. Higher total IgE (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.10–3.06) and eosinophil levels (OR = 2.85, 95% CI: 1.14–7.15) were significantly associated with adult bronchial asthma in Aseer. On the other hand, the role of cytokines was not significant. Conclusions: In the present study, certain environmental agents were found to be important with regards to sensitization to bronchial asthma in adults. Knowledge about these sensitization agents should be disseminated to health providers and treating physicians in order to enhance preventive environmental control measures and asthma management. Asthma-treating physicians in the region should be alerted to the use of targeted biological therapies in selected asthmatics with difficult-to-control courses.

Prescribing Pattern of Asthma Therapy among Children with Asthma at Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia

“…The differences in these results, however, were not statistically significant. Another research performed in Jeddah and adjacent villages yielded the opposite results (P-value 0.001), which is comparable to the findings of a previous international study by Al-Ghamd et al [17].…”

Investigating the Outcomes of an Asthma Educational Program and Useful Influence in Public Policy

“…The KSA health care system faces many challenges which have increased the issues for patients with chronic diseases (11,12). For example, there are lower numbers of allergists, registered respiratory therapists, specialized respiratory nurses, and pharmacists (6,12,13). Therefore, the number of emergency and scheduled visits of asthma patients has increased in KSA hospitals (11,12).…”

Facilitators, challenges and usefulness of an asthma educational programme

“…Al-Harbi et al (2016) suggest that future research should explore the role of health professionals in participation in asthma self-management programmes. In particular, there is limited literature on the challenges of asthma educational programmes in the Arab states (Al-Ghamdi et al, 2019;Al-Moamary et al, 2019;Hamdan et al, 2019).). This study sought to explore these issues using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to understand the extent to which asthma patients can become self-motivated to manage asthma.…”

“…Al-Harbi et al (2016) suggest that future research should explore the role of health professionals in participation in asthma self-management programmes. In particular, there is limited literature on the challenges of asthma educational programmes in the Arab states (Al-Ghamdi et al, 2019; Al-Moamary et al, 2019; Hamdan et al, 2019). ).…”