Pediatric Severe Asthma: Role of Environmental Tobacco Smoke? Open Access

Abstract

Abstract

Pediatric Severe Asthma: Role of Environmental Tobacco Smoke?
By Meredith Suzanne Brown

Asthma is the most common chronic lung disease of childhood. While several routes
of exposure have been implicated in inducing and complicating asthma, exposure to tobacco
smoke has remained at the forefront. My thesis seeks to: 1) determine the prevalence of self-
reported environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in asthmatic children, 2) determine
whether plasma cotinine concentrations are higher in asthmatic children with self-reported
ETS exposure, and 3) to determine whether plasma cotinine concentrations are associated
with clinical features of asthma severity in children. These questions were addressed through
database analysis and by testing blood samples for cotinine, which is a biomarker of nicotine.
Overall, 20% of all children with asthma were exposed to ETS. Exposure, as identified by
cotinine levels, matched self-reported ETS exposure. Cotinine levels did not correlate with
asthma severity. Therefore, although ETS exposure is highly prevalent in asthmatic children,
these data suggest that ETS exposure alone does not contribute to asthma severity.

Table of Contents

EMORY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Table of Contents
1. Introduction……….…………………….…………….1
2. Methods……………………….………………….…....5
a. Subject Characterization………………………...5
b. Analysis of Samples………………………………...6
c. Data Analysis…………………………………………..7
3. Results…………….…………………………………....9
a. Study Population Demographics……………...9
b. Prevalence of ETS Exposure……………….....9
c. Association Between Plasma Cotinine

and Self-reported ETS Exposur..........10

d. Association Between Plasma Cotinine

and Clinical Features of

Asthma Severity..............................10

4. Discussion…………….……………………………....12
5. References………….………………………………...15
6. List of Tables……………………………….………..21
a. Table 1: Demographics.........................21
7. Figure Legends.................................22
8. List of Figures
a. Figure 1............................................29
b. Figure 2............................................30
c. Figure 3A..........................................31
d. Figure 3B..........................................31
e. Figure 4A..........................................32
f. Figure 4B...........................................32
g. Figure 5A..........................................33

h. Figure 5B..........................................33
i. Figure 6A...........................................34

j. Figure 6B...........................................34

k. Figure 7A..........................................35

l. Figure 7B...........................................35

m. Figure 8A.........................................36

n. Figure 8B..........................................36

About this Honors Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Emory College
Department	Environmental Studies
Degree	BS
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, General
Keyword	severe asthma asthma cotinine environmental tobacco smoke
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Fitzpatrick, Anne M, Emory University
Committee Members	Simon, Dawn, Emory University Wegner, John, Emory University

Last modified

Primary PDF

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions
	Pediatric Severe Asthma: Role of Environmental Tobacco Smoke? ()	2018-08-28 13:15:09 -0400	Press to Select an action Download

Supplemental Files

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions