BACKGROUND:
Among the many factors influencing the prevalence of asthma in developing countries from the tropics are geo-helminthic infections.
AIMS:
This work aims to study the relation between bronchial asthma and parasitic infestation in Egyptian children.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
A cross-section, analytical study design was chosen to perform this research on 100 school aged children. All children were interviewed and examined clinically and laboratory.
SETTING:
Alexandria Main University Hospital.
RESULTS:
86%of patients with bronchial asthma lived in urban areas, while 64% of patients with parasitic infestation lived in rural areas.Statistically significantly Negative correlations were found between blood level of IgE and FEV1% of predicted in patients with bronchial asthma as well as patients with parasitic infestation with r=-0.381, -0.325 at p=0.006, 0.021 respectively.Inverse relationship was found between blood level of IgE and FEV1/FVC% in patients with parasitic infestation with r= -0.358 with statistical significant difference at p=0.011.
CONCLUSIONS:
Statistically significance higher values of IgE were found in patients with parasitic infestation compared to patients with bronchial asthma .It was noted that patients with combined bronchial asthma and parasitic infestation demonstrated statistically significance higher values of IgE which suggest a possible synergistic effect of two diseases.
RECOMMENDATION:
Improving personal and environmental hygiene and regular screening, treatment andhealth education for children as regard parasitic infections is recommended.
Key words: Parasitic, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, urban, rural.