Pertussis in French Adolescents: Risk Factors and Respiratory Sequels

Abstract

An analysis of the risk factors for pertussis and the possible respiratory sequels was carried out in a sample of 499 children and adolescents aged 10–16 years from the general population in north-eastern France. 44 subjects (8.8%) had pertussis during childhood; and the sex ratio was 1 in these cases. Pertussis was significantly associated with a maternal history of respiratory disease, residence in a rural area and coal heating. In a multiple logistic regression model, a maternal history of respiratory disease was the only significant factor (p = 0.01), the number of siblings being of borderline significance (p = 0.06). No increase in respiratory symptoms or asthma prevalence was found in our subjects who had pertussis during childhood

Histamine release from basophils in childhood: Age dependency and inhibition by pertussis infection and pertussis toxin

“…Similar findings were reported by others [12,20]; also asthma was significantly more common in children who had had whooping cough before the age of 5 years [20]. Other studies found no evidence for such a longterm effect of pertussis [3,11,12,21]. Although release of histamine and other mediators from human basophils and mast cells plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of respiratory allergy [4] and histamine release from basophils in response to specific allergens can be of great value in the diagnosis of childhood allergic asthma [9], no data on histamine release during pertussis in childhood are available.…”