Objective: Exposure of DNA to sulfur mustard gas may increase the
inheritance of asthma in chemical warfare victims' (CWV) offspring. The
objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of asthma in
children of CWV and compare it to asthmatic children in the general
population. Methods: Four hundred and nine children from 130 CWV
fathers and 440 children from 145 asthmatic parents from two cities in
Iran participated in this study. The prevalence of asthma was
determined by standard questionnaire released for epidemiological
survey of asthma in children and compared between two groups. Findings:
The prevalence of asthma in the CWV group was 15%; this was not
significantly different from the control group (12.5%). The children of
the CWV group reported a significantly greater incidence of wheezing
(1.2±3.1 attacks) per year, but the control group reported more
severe attacks leading to speech difficulties (3%) and coughing (7%).
Regression analysis showed that with increasing family size in the
control group, the number of subjects suffering from asthmatic symptoms
decreases significantly (r=0.86, P=0.001). Conclusion: Chemical agents
may increase the prevalence of asthma in the offspring of CWV