[Results of a screening for atopy and aspecific bronchial hyperreactivity in 6-year-old children].

In the course of a clinic-anamnestic study performed from November 1984 to April 1985 by the collaborators of USL 40 Maternal-Infantile Service, among the children (1569) of the first primary school, 622 children has been selected for possible, probable and verified asthma. For making deeper the diagnosis, 358 children had gone to the respiratory allergologic section of division of pneumology and respiratory allergology of Cardarelli Hospital. The control group was formed from 12 children without atopic familiarity and without asthmatic tendency. Among the 358 children, 127 were asymptomatic but with familiar anamnesis positive for atopy; 219 had or had suffered allergic symptomatology. The authors had studied all children by Prick-test with a standard battery of allergens and with by methacholine aspecific bronchial reactivity test. The familiar tendency to atopy was present in 81.1% of studied children, with prevalence of maternal tendency (41,83%) in comparison with this of ascendents and collaterals. Among the asymptomatic subjects with atopic familiarity only 27.56% was skin positive for one or more allergens, while 59.82% of symptomatic subjects was skin positive. The bronchial aspecific reactivity with methacholine was increased in the 62% of asymptomatic and in the 84.69% of symptomatic subjects. The aspecific bronchial reactivity level in mean was higher in the children with bronchial asthma but also the subjects with rhinitis and chronic cough has showed a higher level in comparison with adults affected of similar symptomatology. In 8 children the authors have studied the reproduction of PD20 methacholine which was very high.