Urinary Eosinophil Protein X in Childhood Asthma: Relation with Changes in Disease Control and Eosinophilic Airway Inflammation

The aim of this study was to assess cross-sectional and longitudinal correlations between uEPX and other markers of asthma control and eosinophilic airway inflammation. Methods. We measured uEPX at baseline, after 1 year and after 2 years in 205 atopic asthmatic children using inhaled fluticasone. At the same time points, we assessed symptom scores (2 weeks diary card), lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)), airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and percentage eosinophils in induced sputum (% eos). Results. We found negative correlations between uEPX and FEV1 at baseline (r = -0.18, P = 0.01), after 1 year (r = -0.25, P