The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis, as well as the risk factors of wheezing among young adults in the Korean military. Young military conscripts in five areas completed a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. For subjects with current wheeze in one sample area, baseline spirometry and bronchodilator response were measured. For subjects without a significant response to bronchodilator (improvement in FEV1 of more than 200 mL and 12%), methacholine challenge tests (MCT) were also performed. Of 3,359 subjects that completed the questionnaire, 354 (10.5%) had current wheeze, 471 (14.0%) had current allergic rhinitis, and 326 (9.7%) had current eczema. Current wheeze was associated with family history of allergic disease, overweight, current smoking, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Of 36 subjects with current wheeze who underwent PFT with or without MCT in the Anyang area, 24 (66.7%) were confirmed to have current asthma. In conclusion, the prevalence of allergic disease in young adults of Korean military is not low, and the risk factors of wheezing include family history of allergic disease, overweight, current smoking, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis.
Adult ; Asthma/*complications/epidemiology/*immunology ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity/*epidemiology/*immunology ; *Military Personnel ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Sounds/*etiology ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between asthma and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in Korea. A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment database 2010-2011. The subjects included 935,106 (2010) and 952,295 (2011), of whom 398 (2010) and 428 (2011) patients with IPD were identified. There was significant difference in the prevalence of IPD in patients with and without asthma (0.07% vs. 0.02% in 2010 and 0.08% vs. 0.01% in 2011; P<0.001). After adjusting for age and gender, patients with asthma showed over a three-fold increased risk of IPD compared with patients without asthma (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.02-5.03 in 2010 / aOR, 5.44; 95% CI, 4.10-7.22 in 2011; P<0.001). These findings were also significant in children (aOR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.25-3.45 in 2010; P=0.005 / aOR, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.74-6.11 in 2011; P<0.001). Although diabetes mellitus was also significantly associated with IPD, relatively low ORs compared with those of asthma were noted (aOR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.35-2.54 in 2010 / aOR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.78-3.24 in 2011; P<0.001). Both children and adults with asthma are at increased risk of developing IPD.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Asthma/complications/*epidemiology ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology ; Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine/immunology ; Humans ; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes/complications/*epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Pneumococcal Infections/complications/*epidemiology ; Pneumococcal Vaccines/immunology ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus pneumoniae/pathogenicity ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic inflammation of the airway is usually associated with airway hyper-responsiveness in bronchial asthma. However, there is a small group of patients which has the eosinophilic inflammation in the bronchial tree with normal spirometry and no evidence of airway hyper-responsiveness, which was named eosinophilic bronchitis. The objectives of this study are 1) to investigate the incidence of eosinophilic bronchitis in the chronic cough syndrome and 2) to evaluate the clinical features and course of eosinophilic bronchitis. METHODS: We evaluated 92 patients who had persistent cough for 3 weeks or longer. In addition to routine diagnostic protocol, we performed differential cell count of sputum. Eosinophilic bronchitis was diagnosed when the patient had normal spirometric values, normal peak expiratory flow variability, no airway hyper-responsiveness and sputum eosinophilia (>3%). RESULTS: The causes of chronic cough were post-nasal drip in 33%, cough variant asthma in 16%, chronic bronchitis in 15% and eosinophilic bronchitis in 12% of the study subjects. Initial eosinophil percentage in the sputum of patients with eosinophilic bronchitis was 26.8+/-6.1% (3.8-63.7%). Treatment with inhaled steroid is related with a subjective improvement of cough severity and a significant decrease of sputum eosinophil percentage (from 29.1+/-8.3% to 7.4+/-3.3%). During the follow-up period, increase in sputum eosinophil percentage with aggravation of symptoms were found. CONCLUSION: Eosinophilic bronchitis is one of the important cause of chronics cough. Assessment of airway inflammation by sputum examination is important in investigating the cause of chronic cough. Cough in eosinophilic bronchitis is effectively controlled by inhaled corticosteroid, but may follow a chronic course.
Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Steroidal/therapeutic use ; Asthma/complications/epidemiology ; Bronchitis/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy/epidemiology ; Budesonide/therapeutic use ; Chronic Disease ; Cough/epidemiology/*etiology ; Eosinophilia/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy/epidemiology ; Female ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/complications/epidemiology ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Severity of Illness Index ; Sputum/chemistry/immunology