Objective This study aimed to find the prevalence and clinico-demographic profile of cystic fibrosis (CF) children with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA).

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at a CF clinic of a tertiary care hospital. Participants included the diagnosed cases of children with CF, of both genders, from 4 to 18 years of age.

Results A total of 61 patients were enrolled. Sixteen patients (26.2%) had Aspergillus fumigatus sensitization—among these, 10 (16.4%) patients fulfilled the minimum diagnostic criteria for ABPA and 6 (9.8%) had A. fumigatus sensitization only. Two patients were below the age of 5 years, while eight patients were more than 6 years old. The female-to-male ratio was 6:4. High attenuated mucus was the specific finding in our study cohort on computed tomography (CT) chest. All patients with ABPA had significantly higher median (interquartile range [IQR]) levels of total IgE, specific IgE, and IgG for A. fumigatus, and total eosinophil count compared to patients without ABPA. There was also a significant decrease in forced exhalation volume in first second (FEV1) values (6 months apart) in ABPA patients.

Conclusion Our study found that ABPA affects 16.4% of our CF population, with 20% of cases occurring in children aged 4 to 5 years. We observed a higher prevalence of ABPA in patients from rural areas. Eosinophilia and serial decline in FEV1 values were observed as potential early markers for ABPA.

The study was approved by IEC SKIMS, No: SIMS1131/IEC-SKIMS/2021-49 (dated February 22, 2021).

J.I.B., S.I.Z., and M.H.B. conceived the idea of the study and wrote the manuscript. S.I.Z. and Z.A.T. was involved in sample collection. Z.M.T. was responsible for data analysis. B.A.C. supervised implementation of the study and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript, and are accountable for all aspects related to the study.

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Received: 17 November 2023

Accepted: 27 March 2024

Article published online:
03 May 2024

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