Faculty of Medicine
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Item type:Publication, Asthma in adolescents, consequences of transition from pediatric to adult pulmonology(Macedonian Respiratory Society, 2025-04-12) ;Zafirovski, Oliver; Asthma is a complex, heterogenous medical condition which is very common in children and adults. Transition is “the purposeful, planned movement of adolescents and young adults with chronic physical and medical conditions from child-centered care to adult-oriented health care systems”. The significant changes in physical and mental health during this time, as well as the many unique developmental and psychosocial challenges that occur during adolescence can complicate and impede transition if not adequately addressed and managed. The transition period can also be a challenging time for health professionals to assess readiness for transition and manage some of the complications which are particularly common during this time, including poor adherence to therapy, smoking, drug use, and emerging mental health conditions. The natural history, presentation, symptoms, and management of asthma is often significantly different when comparing pediatric and adult practice. In addition, management in infants, toddlers, school aged children, and adolescents differs significantly, offering an additional challenge to pediatric physicians managing asthmatic children and young people. Despite these challenges, if the transition process for young people with asthma is planned and performed in a formalized manner, many of these issues can be addressed, allowing the transition to occur smoothly despite changes that may occur in medical and psychosocial domains. A successful transition, with minimal consequences, can only be achieved with the continuous cooperation of pediatric and adult pulmonologists. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, COVID-19 and chronic respiratory diseases(Serbian Association of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, 2021) - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Utility of exhaled nitric oxide in pediatric practice-review of literature.(Macedonian Association of Anatomists and Morphologists, 2019); ; ; ; Popova, GoricaThe field of interest for measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (NO) and nasal NO is significantly evolving over the last 25 years, with over 1000 publications published in that area. Inflammation of the airways is a central process in asthma and other lung disorders, but the monitoring of the inflammation has not been included in the current recommendations. The exhaled air contains volatile media such as nitric monoxide, carbon monoxide, ethane, pentane and non-volatile substances in the liquid phase in the exhalation, as a condensate (hydrogen peroxide). It is increasingly confirmed that the measurement of exhaled mediators in general, and especially NO, is a new way to monitor certain aspects of asthma, COPD and interstitial lung disease, which cannot be estimated with other methods, like lung function. In asthma, exhaled NO is recommended to be used as a marker for diagnosis, for monitoring the response of anti-inflammatory drugs, confirming the safety of therapy and predicting asthma exacerbation. Measurements of FeNO are easily performed, they are reproducible and technically less expensive than the analysis of induced sputum. In symptomatic patients, high FeNO levels (> 50 ppb), refer to significant eosinophilia in the airways, which will most likely respond to treatment with ICS. The current data provides support for the diagnostic use of FeNO in children with symptoms of asthma. For patients with chronic and/or severe asthma, FeNO levels are useful for determining whether eosinophilic inflammation of the airways is active or not. Both high (> 50ppb) and low (<25 ppb) levels of FeNO can be used to for predicting the outcome in patients with a definitive history of asthma who are currently in remission and who have stopped treatment with ICS. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Leptin, obesity parameters and atopy among children with asthma(Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts / De Gruyter, 2021-10-26); ; ; ; Leptin, as a major adipokine, positively correlates with the body’s fat, while atopy is an important feature in the development of childhood asthma. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between leptin, parameters of obesity, and atopy in children with asthma. The study included 112 children (73 boys, 39 girls, mean age 11.1±2.4). 41 were overweight, 38 had asthma and a normal body mass index (BMI), and 33 were overweight asthmatics. Serum leptin levels, BMI, waist circumference (WC), and waist to hips ratio (WHR) were measured. Skin prick test (SPT)/CAP, total serum IgE, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and pulmonary function tests were performed. In asthmatic children, serum leptin median level was 9.2±16.2 ng/ml, in overweight children was 30.6±21.6 ng/ml, and in overweight asthmatics was 31.1±20.3 ng/ml with a significant difference between the groups (p=0.0374), yet with a significantly lower median level in the group of children with asthma compared to the overweight children: with asthma (p=0.00001) and without asthma (p=0.00001). In the three groups of patients, BMI and WC displayed a significant positive correlation with leptin (for BMI r=0.652 vs. r=0.530 vs. r=0.563, respectively and for WC r=0.508 vs. r=0.426 vs. r=0.527, respectively). No significant correlations of leptin within atopy parameters (Eo, IgE, SPT/CAP, FeNO) in all three analyzed groups (p>0.05) was detected.Conclusion: Atopy was not confirmed as an underlying mechanism of the association between asthma and being overweight. Leptin had a significant linear correlation as a parameter of central obesity with BMI and WC in all three groups, but not with WHR. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Relationship between Vitamin D, Inflammation and Lung Function In Patients with Severe Uncontrolled Asthma(Scientific Foundation SPIROSKI, 2017-12-15); ; ;Jovkovska-Kaeva, Biserka ;Breskovska, GoricaGoseva, ZlaticaBACKGROUND:Recently epidemiological studies showed that low vitamin D is linked toairway hyperresponsiveness, decreasedlung function, poor asthma control, and steroid–resistant asthma.AIM:We investigatedtherelationshipbetween Vitamin D, inflammation with circulating IL-33 and lung function in 30 patients with severe uncontrolled asthma. MATERIALS AND METHODS:The study included 30 patients with severe uncontrolled asthma. In each of them were measured serum levels of IL-33 and Vitamin D by the ELISA method. The pulmonary function is measuredby basic spirometry parameters, FEV1. The results were statistically elaboratedaccording to the Pearson’s Correlation Tests. RESULTS:The results showed statistically insignificant correlation between Vitamin D and IL-33, and Vitamin D with FEV1 (Vit.D/IL-33; r=0.11323, p=0.551); (Vit.D/FEV1; r=-0.1005; p=0.597) Correlation between IL-33 and FEV1 is negative but statistically significant (IL-33/FEV1; r=-0.5248; p=0.003). CONCLUSION:Because there arelittle studies about the link between vitamin D and asthma, further research toclarify the mechanism how vitamin D control the activity of CD4+ T cells and the related Th2-type cytokines in the parthenogenesis of asthma. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Antibiotics use in relation to asthma in children(Wiley Blackwell, 2018-05); ; ;Kimovska, M ;Seckova, LBackground: Early-life antibiotic exposures have been reported to increase the risk of allergic diseases. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of current antibiotics use on asthma in schoolchildren in The Republic of Macedonia, as developing country with a high rate of antibiotics use and low prevalence of asthma. Method: Data from 2310 schoolchildren aged 5-15 years obtained through a parental-completed questionnaire in randomly selected primary schools in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, in 2015/2016 was used. The frequency of antibiotics intake ≥3 and <3 times yearly vs never antibiotics intake for respiratory infections, in the last 12 months was correlated to current asthma-like symptoms and ever-diagnosed asthma after adjustment for confounding factors using multiple logistic regression. Results: 50.9% of the children used antibiotics currently and 21.0% out of them used antibiotics ≥3 times yearly. Current wheeze (W) was established in 6.5%, sleep-disturbing W in 3.6%, exercised-induced W in 1.7%, dry night cough apart from a cold in 12.2% and asthma in 2.3%. Current antibiotics use ≥3 times yearly was positively associated with current W (aOR: 13.37; 6.14-29.11; p < 0.001), sleep-disturbing W (aOR: 7.87; 3.34-18.57; p < 0.002), dry night cough (aOR: 3.80; 2.29-6.29; p <0.001), and diagnosed asthma (aOR: 5.68; 1.96-16.50; p = 0.001) while antibiotics use <3 times yearly was positively associated only with current W (p = 0.003) and dry night cough (p = 0.011). Conclusion: The results suggest an aggravating role of antibiotics use on asthma in school age thus further supporting the recommended restriction of antibiotics exposure. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Adaptation and validation of the pediatric asthma quality of life questionnaire in Macedonian children with asthma(2015-09); ; Background: In order to better the control of asthma in the last decades, despit the use of clinical and pulmonary functional assessment, a lot of emphasis has been put on the assessment of quality of life (QL). The aim of the study was to evaluate the Macedonian version of the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ). Method: The study included 64 children with asthma from the ages ranging from 7 to 17 from a Macedonian nationality, treated in an ambulant or hospital facility within the University Children' s Hospital in Skopje in a time period of 2 years. The children were assess 3 times during a period of 3 months. To assess the control of the condition we used a Clinical Severity Score (CSS), and for the assessment of the QL we used the Macedonia version of the PAQLQ from Elizabeth Juniper which is contained od 23 questions organized into three domains: symptoms, activities and emotions. The results were analyzed with the appropriate statistical test. Result: There has been increase in the average values of the score of the PAQLQ, witch means better control of the asthma by the end of the 3 months. There was not a statistically significant difference (p>0,05) in the change of the QL and the age of the children with asthma in all the three domains and the overall score. Better scores on the PAQLQ were achieved by the children with persistent asthma, as well as the ones with better CSS. A significant correlation was determine between the assessed clinical parameters (asthma diary, FEV1, PEF and CCS) and the domain of activities, symptoms and overall score (p<0,05), and in the domain of emotions only in correlation to CSS (R=0,31). There was a significant improvement of all the scores of PAQLQ after the beginning of the anti-inflammatory therapy with ICS. According to CSS, at the end of the study all of the children were classified as stable (good QL), in contrast to beginning of the study witch was caracterized with 78% of stability. Conclusion: The Macedonian version of the PAQLQ shows exceptional validity, reliability, excellent responsiveness in the QL of the children with asthma. It can be used for the assessing of the condition, has good measurement properties for all children between 7 to 17, successfully assesses the effects of the anti-inflammatory therapy and achieves complete control of the condition. It is simple and easy for use and gives a new dimension to monitoring children with asthma. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Inflammatory markers in peripheral blood in patients with asthma(2020-12); ; ;Dejan Todevski ;Monika Tushevska MitkovskaNikola ChamurovskiAsthma is one of the most common chronic diseases all over the world, resulting from a state of persistent sub-acute inflammation of the airways. The main attribute of asthma is inflammation, which leads to airway remodeling, bronchial hyper-reactivity and reversible or partly reversible airway obstruction. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells and inflammatory mediators play a role. (GINA). Many cells and mediators take part in creating the asthmatic inflammatory reaction, but eosinophils play a central role. All of the inflammatory cells and mediators can be detected in the airflow tissue. Some of them can be detected in the asthmatics peripheral blood too. This study includes 30 patients of the Pulmology and Allergy Clinic, Skopje, with confirmed bronchial asthma, treated with ICS. In all of the patients we followed Eo count, ECP and IL-5 in peripheral blood at the beginning of the study, after 2 and 6 months treatment. Following the parameters during treatment with ICS we registered changes in all of the tested parameters. Our conclusion is that the ICS objectively suppress the inflammatory reaction in asthma and the biologic markers (IL-5, Eo and ECP), which we have followed, can measure the accomplished effect. They could be used in every day practice, not only as diagnostic parameters but also as valid therapeutic guides in the treatment of asthma - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Asthma Control Test™ in Assessment of Clinical Asthma Control(ID Design Press, 2009-12-01); ; ;Tatjana Petrova; Snezana Risteska-KucBackground. The goal of asthma treatment is to achieve and maintain control of the disease. Objective. To assess validity and reliability of Asthma Control TestTM (ACT) as a patient-based tool for quantifying the control of the disease in the subjects with persistent asthma. Methods. A cross-sectional study including 396 subjects with persistent asthma drown from a population of treated patients was performed. Evaluation of the examined subjects included completion of the ACT, spirometry, and asthma specialist rating of control. Results. The mean derived ACT score in all study subjects was 19.2±3.3. Prevalence of the study subjects with totally controlled (TC), well-controlled (WC) and not well-controlled (NWC) asthma by derived ACT score was 9.1%, 43.2% and 47.7%, respectively. Results from the spirometry showed that in 45% of the study subjects FEV1 value was less than 80%. Prevalence of the study subjects with TC, WC and NWC asthma by asthma specialist rating was 8.1%, 41.1% and 50.7%, respectively. A strong correlation between the derived ACT scores and asthma specialist rating of control was observed (r = 0.51, P = 0.000). Conclusion. Our data confirm the usefulness of the ACT as a valid and reliable screening tool for asthma control. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Exercise-related respiratory symptoms and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in industrial bakers(Informa UK Limited, 2013); ; ; ; In order to assess prevalence and characteristics of exercise-related respiratory symptoms (ERRS) and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in industrial bakery, the authors performed a cross-sectional study including 57 bakers and an equal number of office workers studied as a control. Evaluation of examined subjects included completion of a questionnaire, skin prick tests to common inhalant and occupational allergens, spirometry, and exercise and histamine challenge. The authors found a similar prevalence of ERRS and EIB in both bakers and controls. EIB was significantly associated with atopy, asthma, family history of asthma, and positive histamine challenge in either group, whereas in bakers it was closely related to sensitization to occupational allergens (p = .032). Bronchial reaction to exercise was significantly higher in bakers with EIB (25.7% vs 19.2%; p = .021). These findings suggest that occupational exposure in industrial bakery may accentuate bronchoconstrictive response to exercise.
