Surfactant protein A in nasal secretions: correlation with bronchial asthma severity in children

Surfactant A (SpA) is an innate immunity protein that plays an important role in protective reactions to various pathological processes of the respiratory tract. SpA may serve as a potential marker in the upper and lower respiratory tracts during inflammation. Objective. To determine the SpA concentrations in nasal secretions (NS) of children with bronchial asthma (BA) of varying severity, to assess differences compared with those of healthy children, and to identify the correlation between protein levels and BA severity. Patients and methods. The study included 98 children diagnosed with BA aged 5 to 12 years. The patients were divided into groups according to the BA severity: Group 1 (n=26) — children with mild BA, Group 2 (n=48) — with moderate BA, Group 3 (n=24) — with severe BA. The control group (n=20) consisted of conditionally healthy children (who did not have a diagnosis of BA) comparable in age. The concentration of SpA in NS was determined by ELISA (pg/ml). The study was carried out between 2020 and 2023. Results. The SpA level correlated with BA severity, with the highest SpA concentration observed in the group of children with severe BA (r=0.85; p<0.05). Conclusion. A relationship between the level of SpA expression in the upper respiratory tract and BA severity was established. Thus, SpA can potentially be considered as a biomarker for assessing inflammation activity in children with BA.