Data collection
Data collected included demographic characteristics, atopic (atopic
dermatitis, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC), IgE-mediated food
allergies) and non-atopic (gastroesophageal reflux disease, clinical
sleep apnea syndrome or confirmed by polygraphy) comorbidities, the
pediatric asthma control test (ACT) score, the number of asthma
exacerbations and severe asthma exacerbations (requiring hospital
treatment and/or systemic corticosteroid therapy for 3 days or more),
the number of days of taking oral corticosteroids for severe
exacerbations, and the number of visits to the emergency room or
emergency consultations for asthma exacerbations over the past 12
months. Children were categorized into frequent exacerbators (≥ 2
exacerbations per year in the last 12 months) and pauci-exacerbators25. The presence of sensitization to common
pneumallergens (house dust mites, cat or dog dander, birch pollen, and
grass pollen), defined by specific IgE > 0.1 kU/l or
positive prick-tests, plasma eosinophilia, the plasma concentration of
total IgE, and the lung function in the previous six months were also
recorded.