Children-Adult Asthma Cohort Study in China
Children-Adult Asthma Cohort Study in China
This study is a multicenter and prospective cohort study of children diagnosed with asthma.
 Clinical symptoms and signs, quality of life, blood test, and lung function were detected
 every three months. FeNO detection, chest imaging, and induced sputum smear were detected
 when necessary. Biological samples will be collected when recruiting and finishing follow-up.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases all over the world. GINA (Global Initiative
 for Asthma) reported that nearly 300 million were diagnosed with asthma, while in China even
 reach to 30 million. In recent years, the prevalence of pediatric asthma and severe cases in
 China has increased considerably. In 2013, the third national survey carried out in 43 cities
 in 27 provinces and found that asthma prevalence among children aged 0-14 years old reached
 to 3.02%, with the highest prevalence in Shanghai (7.57%), while in year of 2000, the rat was
 1.09%. However, the research about mechanism, risk factors, individualized prevention and
 treatment strategy of asthma in China is still not perfect and there is no basic data and
 multicenter cohort study. Therefore, this multicenter cohort study is conducted, in order to
 set up a complete database, biobank and long term follow up of Chinese children, and
 establish foundations for basic research and precise medicine.

 Pediatric patients more than or equal to 6 years old diagnosed with asthma will be recruited
 in this study. After evaluating the baseline, the patients were followed up. Visiting doctors
 and filling in a questionnaire for every three months, the clinical symptoms, physical
 examination, will be detected. Chest X ray, blood tests, lung function test and FeNO test
 would be done when necessary. And, biological samples of blood, urine and throat swab will be
 collected when recruiting and finishing follow-up. The trial will be completed in 60 months,
 with 4000 subjects recruited from 8 hospitals.
Inclusion Criteria:

 1. Age: More than or equal to 6 years old

 2. Fulfilling the diagnosis criteria of asthma or cough variant asthma (CVA) based on the
 guideline of China.

 3. The patients cooperated very well with the doctors to perform lung function test.

 Asthma is defined as fulfilling followings 1-4 or 4 and 5:

 1. History of variable respiratory symptoms: wheezing, shortness of breath, chest
 tightness, and coughing. Symptoms are often worse at night or upon awakening, and
 often triggered by exercise, laughter, allergens, or cold air, viral infections.

 2. At onset, scattered wheeze in the lungs is heard with prolonged expiratory time.

 3. The above symptoms and signs were efficient for anti-asthma, or alleviates
 voluntarily.

 4. Exclusive of other diseases with wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and
 coughing.

 5. If the manifestation is non-typical, fulfilling one of the followings:

 -  Documented airflow limitation：

 1. Positive BD reversibility test: Increase in FEV1 of >12% from baseline, 15
 minutes after inhalation of 200-400 μg albuterol;

 2. Significantly increased in lung function after anti-inflammatory treatment;

 3. Increase in FEV1 of >12%, after 4 to 8 weeks of treatment with inhaled
 corticosteroids and (or) anti-leukotrienes.

 -  Positive bronchial challenge test;

 -  Excessive variability in twice-daily PEF over 2 weeks: Average daily diurnal PEF
 variability >13%.

 Cough variant asthma (CVA) is defined as fulfilling following:

 1. Cough at least 4 weeks without sputum and wheeze, worsening at night or upon
 awakening;

 2. No symptoms of infection, or no effect on long term antibiotic treatment;

 3. The symptoms and signs were efficient for anti-asthma treatment;

 4. Exclusive of other diseases causing wheeze;

 5. Positive exercise challenge test and (or) average daily diurnal PEF variability >13%;

 6. Individual or primary, secondary relatives with allergic history, or positive allergen
 detection.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 Subject will be excluded if she or he has one of the following:

 1. congenital heart disease;

 2. heart failure;

 3. liver failure or renal insufficiency;

 4. kidney disease;

 5. connective tissue disease;

 6. immunodeficiency;

 7. tumor;

 8. a history of hypertension or diabetes mellitus.