Prevalence and alternative therapy methods for bee and wasp allergy in Van (original) (raw)
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Indoor Risk Factors for Atopic Eczema in School Children from East Germany
Environmental Research, 1999
This study aimed to investigate the relation between environmental in£uences such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, as well as environmental tobacco smoke, pet keeping, and heating systems on the prevalence of atopic eczema. Therefore, a multicenter crosssectional study of school children aged 5± ±14 years, including a standardized questionnaire, blood and urine analyses, and a dermatological examination, was undertaken. A cases± ±control approach was chosen in order to identify relevant risk factors. A total of 2200 school children (response 79.1%) of two areas (Bitterfeld, Hettstedt) polluted by industrial activities and an agricultural control region (Zerbst) of the former German Democratic Republic were examined. Atopic eczema as identi¢ed by dermatological examination and history was the outcome variable of interest. Body burden of arsenic and heavy metals and questionnaire data on environmental tobacco smoke exposure, pet keeping, and heating system were investigated as potential risk factors.The overall prevalence of atopic eczema was 2.6%, with higher prevalences in the industrial areas (2.5 and 2.9%) compared to the control area (1.6%, not signi¢cant). Bivariate analyses did not reveal statistically signi¢cant associations between atopic eczema and tobacco smoke exposure or the body burden of arsenic and heavy metals. According to multiple logistic regression analysis, atopic eczema was signi¢cantly more frequent in predisposed families and those who reported keeping guinea pigs (OR = 4.37, CI 2.15± ±8.91), but not other pets, like dogs, cats, and hamsters. In comparison to a distant heating system, a decreased risk was observed in households with central heating system (OR = 0.30, CI 0.10± ±0.90), whereas the presence of a gas heater with an exhaust pipe connection to the wall was associated with a sig-ni¢cantly elevated risk for eczema (OR = 8.22, CI 2.44± ± 27.66).The heating system and exposure to certain animal allergens are related to the manifestation of atopic eczema. Further studies are needed to clarify how far a causal relationship is re£ected by these ¢ndings.
Indoor environment in three North European cities in relationship to atopy and respiratory symptoms
The Clinical Respiratory Journal, 2009
Background: In the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) I, the lowest prevalence of asthma and atopy was found in Reykjavík (Iceland) and Tartu (Estonia). The aim of this study was to compare home environments in Reykjavík and Tartu to a town with a higher prevalence of asthma and atopy (Uppsala, Sweden) in an attempt to identify factors in the indoor environment that could explain these differences. Method: A random sample of 129 ECRHS II participants was included in this analysis at each of the three study centres. The subjects answered a questionnaire, blood was analysed for specific immunoglobulin E, a methacholine test was performed and home indoor measurements were taken. Results: The prevalence of atopy was 11.9% in Reykjavík, 35.5% in Uppsala and 28.2% in Tartu (P < 0.04). The level of indoor cat allergen was significantly lower in Reykjavík compared with Uppsala (P = 0.05). No mite allergens were identified in the 41 homes investigated in Reykjavík, while this was the case in 16% and 72% of the households in Uppsala and Tartu, respectively (P = 0.001). A positive association was found between asthma symptoms and cat allergen levels [odds ratio 1.53 (95% confidence interval 1.04-2.24)], while the levels of viable moulds were significantly associated with increased bronchial responsiveness. Conclusions: Indoor exposure to allergens, moulds and bacteria was lower in Reykjavík than in the Swedish and Estonian centres. This finding indicates that the lower prevalence of allergic sensitization in Reykjavík may partly be related to lower indoor allergen exposure.
Atopic eczema and other manifestations of atopy: results of a study in East and West Germany
Allergy, 1996
Within an environmental health study, dermatologic examination of 1273 preschool age children (5-7 years old) was carried out in selected areas of East (n = 287) and West (n = 987) Germany in spring 1991. On the basis of comparable genetic background, the influence of a different exposure to air pollutants on the manifestation of atopic diseases was investigated. Halle an der Saale (East Germany) and Duisburg (North/South) as well as Essen (West Germany) were chosen as polluted study areas, whereas the countryside town of Borken (West Germany) served as a control region. Outdoor pollution with particles and SO, was significantly higher in Halle an der Saale. Of the total study group. 12.9% suffered from atopic eczema at the time of examination. The prevalence was highest in East Germany (17.5%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.39, confidence intervals [CI] 0.77-2.52, compared to Borken). The reported frequencies of hay fever and asthma in the total study population were 2% and 1.3%, respectively, without significant differences between study sites. Some 34.7% of the children showed at least one positive skin prick test reaction; significantly (P < 0.001) higher sensitization rates were obtained in western regions (Essen, Duisburg-South) than in the control region (Borken) and East Germany. Multivariate analysis of the prevalence of atopic eczema showed associations with parental predisposition (OR 1.52, CI 1.03-2.25), sex (for boys, OR 0.63, CI 0.43-0.92), location (Duisburg-South vs Borken OR 0.52, CI 0.30-0.96). month of investigation (May vs April, and March vs February OR 0.55, CI 0.37-0.81), contact with rabbits (for girls, OR 2.90, CI 1.36-6.19), animal fur in bedrooms (2.17, 1.01-4.67), indoor use of gas without hood (1.68, 1.11-2.56), and distance of homes from a busy road (<50 m 1.71, 1.07-2.73). Nonsignificant associations were observed for history of helminthic infections (OR 1.61, CI 0.98-2.64) and high parental education level (OR 1.83, CI 0.83-4.02). In East and West Germany, atopic eczema seems to follow a course different from that of respiratory allergic diseases and specific sensitization, a fact which underlines the need for a differentiated analysis.
Allergy, 2011
Background: Several cross-sectional studies during the past 10 years have observed an increased risk of allergic outcomes for children living in damp or mouldy environments. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether reported mould or dampness exposure in early life is associated with the development of allergic disorders in children from eight European birth cohorts. Methods: We analysed data from 31 742 children from eight ongoing European birth cohorts. Exposure to mould and allergic health outcomes were assessed by parental questionnaires at different time points. Meta-analyses with fixed-and random-effect models were applied. The number of the studies included in each analysis varied based on the outcome data available for each cohort. Results: Exposure to visible mould and/or dampness during first 2 years of life was associated with an increased risk of developing asthma: there was a significant association with early asthma symptoms in meta-analyses of four cohorts [0-2 years: adjusted odds ratios (aOR), 1.39 (95%CI, 1.05-1.84)] and with asthma later in childhood in six cohorts [6-8 years: aOR, 1.09(95%CI, 0.90-1.32) and 3-10 years: aOR, 1.10 (95%CI, 0.90-1.34)]. A statistically significant association was observed in six cohorts with symptoms of allergic rhinitis at school age [6-8 years: aOR, 1.12 (1.02-1.23)] and at any time point between 3 and 10 years [aOR, 1.18 (1.09-1.28)]. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a mouldy home environment in early life is associated with an increased risk of asthma particularly in young children and allergic rhinitis symptoms in school-age children.
The role of molds in the relation between indoor environment and atopy in asthma patients
Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 2013
The effect of mold fungi to allergic sensitization is not well-known. We aimed to evaluate the role of molds in the relation between indoor environment and atopy in asthmatics. The air samples obtained from 66 stable asthmatics and 35 control subject's houses were sprayed into Sabouraud dextrose agar. Allergy skin testing were performed in both groups. The temperature and humidity of each house were measured. The incidence of atopy was similar in cases (59.1%) and controls (51.4%). The average amount of mold was 35.9 CFU/m(3) and 34.3 CFU/m(3), respectively. The number of household residents was positively correlated with the amount of molds. There was no difference in the amount of mold with respect to dosage of inhaler corticosteroids as well as symptom levels in asthmatics. The most frequently encountered allergens were Dermatophagoides farinae/Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, grass/weeds and molds. Spending childhood in a village was more common among atopics. Living environm...
Mouldy houses influence symptoms of asthma among atopic individuals
Clinical <html_ent glyph="@amp;" ascii="&"/> Experimental Allergy, 2002
Background The in¯uence of current levels of indoor fungi on asthma is a controversial issue that needs to be resolved in order to advise patients appropriately. Objective To assess the seasonal variation in indoor fungal levels and the impact of these levels on asthma among mould-sensitized individuals. Methods Thirty-®ve young adults with current asthma and sensitization to fungi were visited four times over 1 year. At each home visit a questionnaire was administered and samples of dust and air were collected. Participants also recorded information on symptoms, peak expiratory¯ows (PEF) and medication use. Dust samples were analysed for house dust mite allergen (Der p 1) and total fungal biomass (ergosterol). Total and genus-speci®c fungal propagules were identi®ed in air samples. Seasonal variation in allergen levels and signi®cant independent effects of fungal levels on peak¯ow variability (PFV) were identi®ed by repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Signi®cant seasonal variations were observed in viable airborne fungi, ergosterol levels in the¯oor dust and PFV. PFV correlated signi®cantly with symptom scores and the dose of reliever medication. PFV was also signi®cantly associated with smoking and visible mould. The association between visible mould and PFV was independent of season, smoking and the dose of reliever medication. However, there was no association between total fungi, speci®c fungi or ergosterol and PFV. Der p 1 levels had no signi®cant in¯uence on asthma, even in HDM-sensitized individuals. Conclusions Mouldy homes adversely in¯uence asthma in asthmatics sensitized to fungi.
2021
Abstract: Our study examines the association of the presence of mildew, cockroaches, and pets in homes as well as household dust allergens with the prevalence and/or severity of allergic diseases. No study has concurrently assessed home environment exposures in relation to allergic conditions in the general US population. Data from 5,409 participants from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey living in their current homes for ≥1 year were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses between home exposures and allergic diseases prevalence and severity were performed. In adjusted analyses, mildew was associated with higher current asthma, allergies, and allergic rhinitis prevalence; endotoxin, with higher current asthma prevalence), and dust Canis familiaris (Can f) 1, with higher allergic rhinitis prevalence. However, presence of cockroaches and dust Dermatogoides farinae (Der f) 1 were associated respectively with lower current asthma and allergies pr...
2014
Background: Indoor aeroallergens are the main cause of sensitization in children and represent a risk factor for the development of allergic diseases. Objective: Identify the major indoor aeroallergens most often sensitized to pediatric patients treated at the Allergy Service at the "Dr. José Eleuterio González" University Hospital of Monterrey Methods: We performed an observational and descriptive study where we reviewed reports of positive skin tests to the following common indoor aeroallergens: Dermatophagoides farinae (D. farinae), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (D. pteronyssinus), Canis familiaris (C. familiaris), Felis domesticus (F. domesticus), Blattella germanica (B. germanica) and Periplaneta americana (P. americana), found in patients under 16 years with symptoms of allergy, during the period of 2011-2012. Results: We performed 439 skin tests to aeroallergens in pediatric patients. Of these, 57.6% were male and 42.4% were female. Mean age was 6.3 years. The age groups were under 3 years: 17.8%, 3-5 years: 35%, 6-12 years: 36%, and 13-16 years: 11.2%. The main diagnoses were: allergic rhinitis (71.8%), asthma (16.6%), and atopic dermatitis (4.3%). In 57.9% of the cases, they had at least one positive skin test to any aeroallergen. The rate of sensitization to speciic aeroallergens was: D. Pteronyssinus 49.0%, D. farinae 44.6%, B. germanica 13.9%, P. Americana 10.9%, F. domesticus 10.7%, and C. familiaris 5.9%. Conclusion: Indoor aeroallergen sensitization can occur early in life, although it was more frequent in the preschooler and elementary school group. Dust house mites were the most commom cause of allergic sensitization.