Environmental pollution and parental smoking influence on the appearance of pseudocroup in children

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of environmental pollution and parental tobacco smoking on the occurrence of pseudocroup in children. Material and methods: A questionnaire-study was performed in 345 children with pseudocroup admitted to the ENT Dept between 1997–2007. 116 children had smoking and 229 had non-smoking parents. Both groups were compared with respect to environmental pollution (urban, rural), parents’ level of education, household crowding and breast feeding period. The prevalence of upper and lower respiratory tract infections and the presence of allergy were also anlaysed. The results were compared to those performed in the ENT Dept in 1977 -1986. Results: In the group of rural children, 21 were children with pseudocroup from smoking parents and 36 children of nonsmoking parents. Among children living in the urban areas there were 95 from smoking parents and 193 from non-smoking parents. Both non-smoking parents presented a large group of people with a higher level of education, and in the smoking families both parents presented a lower level of education. Analysis of the breast feeding period revealed that it was the longest (up to 9 months) in non-smoking mothers – 21% of the group, and only in 4.3% of smoking mothers

Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in upper respiratory tract mucosa in a group of pre-school children

[b]introduction[/b]. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of DNA viruses which is an etiological factor of many benign and malignant diseases of the upper respiratory tract mucosa, female genital tract and the skin. HPV infection is considered a sexually-transmitted infection, but can also be transmitted by non-sexual routes, including perinatal vertical transmission, physical contact, iatrogenic infection and autoinoculation. Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) in children is connected with HPV infection transmitted vertically from mother to child during the passage of the foetus through an infected birth canal. [b]objective. [/b]The aim of this study was to establish the level of Human Papillomaviruses carrier state in upper respiratory tract mucosa in healthy pre-school children, and to identify potential risk factors for HPV infection. [b]materials and method[/b]. After obtaining consent from their parents, 97 pre-school children were examined – 51 girls and 46 boys between the ages of 3 – 5 years; average age – 4 years and 5 months. 68 children were urban dwellers and 29 came from a rural environment. A questionnaire with detailed history was taken including parents’ and child`s personal data, as well as perinatal risk factors in pregnancy. Socio-demographic information was also obtained, including the standard of living, and chosen environmental factors. Routine ENT examination was performed. Exfoliated oral squamous cells were collected from swabs and analysed for the presence of DNA papillomaviruses by polymerase chain reaction. [b]results.[/b] The presence of HPV in the respiratory tract in children was detected in 19.6% cases. ‘High oncogenic potential’ HPVs, such as HPV-16 and HPV-18, were not observed in squamous cell mucosa of the respiratory tract in the children. No significant differences were observed between the HPV carrier state in urban and rural inhabitants