Atopy in preschool Italian children with recurrent respiratory infections

OBJECTIVES: Recurrent respiratory infections (RRI) are a common problem mainly in pre-school age, due to the presence of unfavourable environmental conditions, including early socialization, as well as the immaturity and inexperience of the immune system. The relation between atopy and RRI has been evaluated in several studies, but the results were not conclusive. This study sought to determine the impact of atopy, the immunological and clinical profile in 297 Italian children with RRI, younger than 6 years. METHODS: All children were assessed for blood leukocyte count, serum immunoglobulin level, IgG subclasses, lymphocytic subpopulations, total and specific IgE levels for common food and inhalant allergens. RESULTS: A total of 218 children (73.4%) provided a positive family history of atopic disorders. Atopy was found in 150 out of 297 children (50.5%). Early onset (<1 year) of RRI symptoms occurred more frequently in atopic children that in non atopic ones (58.9% vs 44%, p=0.02). A higher percentage of the male children (61.6%) got sick, as compared with the percentage of female children (38.4%), and the male children were more frequently atopic (67.3% vs 55.8%, p=0.03). Thirty-nine out of 297 children (13.2%) were diagnosed as having immunological disorders (IgA deficiency, IgG2 deficiency and transient hypogammaglobulinemia). CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence that, in our population, atopy is a frequent condition and it's likely to be a favouring factor for RRI, while the presence of an underlying immunological disease is relatively uncommon and immune defects are mostly mild.