Aspergillus Antibodies: Association with Severity of Disease in Patients Suffering from Asthma

Objective: To determine the association of anti-aspergillus antibodies and other socio-demographic factors with severity of disease among patients suffering from asthma. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Pulmonology Department, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Dec 2020 to May 2021. Methodology: One hundred and fifty patients of asthma diagnosed for more than one year by a consultant respiratory physician were included in the study. Severity of asthma was assessed at the time of initial assessment and classed as mild, moderate or severe on the basis of symptoms and lung function tests. Baseline Laboratory investigations along with serum for anti-aspergillus antibodies were sent as well at the same time. Association of presence of aspergillus antibodies in serum along with their demographic factors was assessed with severity of illness in our study participants. Results: Out of 150 patients of asthma, 65(43.3%) had mild illness, 44(29.3%) had moderate and 41(27.3%) had severe illness. Mean age of the study participants was 41.232±8.91 years. 115(76.7%) were positive for IgG anti-aspergillus antibodies while 35(23.3%). Presence of IgG anti-aspergillus antibodies had statistically significant relationship with sever asthmatic illness in our study population (p-value<0.001). Conclusion: More than quarter of the study participants had severe form of asthmatic illness in this study and presence of IgG anti-aspergillus antibodies emerged as a factor strongly associated with severity of illness among patients of persistent asthma included in our study.