Characteristics of Adaptive Capabilities of Frequently Ill Primary School-Aged Children

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In childhood, the immune system is actively formed, among other things, through the contact with viral and bacterial pathogens. Children over 5 years who suffer from acute respiratory diseases more than 4 times a year, are referred to the group of frequently ill children (FIC) requiring increased attention of doctors.
 AIM: To identify peculiarities of the autonomic regulation, metabolic, regulatory parameters of immune system cells in FIC of the primary school age.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 114 children aged 711 years. On the basis of the data of the card of childs individual development, a group of FIC was identified with recurrence rate of acute respiratory diseases more than 4 times a year (n = 28). A control group included episodically ill children (13 times a year, n = 86). The condition of the autonomic system of a child was evaluated by the data of heart rate variability using ORTO Valeo hardwaresoftware complex. The content of serotonin and catecholamines in blood lymphocytes was determined using luminescent histochemical method. Activity of succinate dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase were evaluated by cytochemical methods.
 RESULTS: The study of regulatory-metabolic parameters of immune cells in the group pf FIC showed reduced activity of succinate dehydrogenase (р 0.01) and reduced content of serotonin (р 0.01), and high activity of acid phosphatase (р 0.05) and catecholamines (р 0.001) in comparison with the control group. The analysis of parameters of autonomic regulation in FIC group showed predominance of parameters characterizing the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system and reduction of parameters characterizing the activity of the parasympathetic division (р 0.05).
 CONCLUSION: The results evidence a sharp imbalance between metabolic and catabolic processes in the immune system of FIC of the primary school age with the underlying predominant activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This gives the ground to study the reasonability of administration of medications and physiotherapeutic procedures for correction of the parameters of the autonomic regulation in the inter-recurrence period with the aim of improving the general adaptive capacities of FIC of the primary school age.