Children at risk for asthma: home allergen levels, lymphocyte proliferation, and wheeze.
BACKGROUND
Allergic asthma is a common childhood disease. Although T-lymphocyte activation plays a critical role in allergic asthma, the environmental factors promoting lymphocyte activation in children are not well defined.


OBJECTIVE
In a cohort of children at risk for asthma (n = 114), we determined whether the levels of cockroach (Bla g 1 or 2), house dust mite (Der f 1), and cat allergen (Fel d 1) in the home during infancy was associated with subsequent allergen-specific lymphocyte proliferation in later life.


METHODS
Dust samples from multiple sites in the home were collected at 3 months of age and were measured for allergen levels. Serial questionnaires were applied. At a median age of 2 years, PBMCs were isolated and lymphocyte proliferation to the home allergens and PHA was determined.


RESULTS
Increased lymphocyte proliferative responses to Bla g 2 were associated with higher home levels of Bla g 1 or 2 (P for trend with kitchen Bla g levels =.011), in analyses adjusting for cold in the past week. Proliferative responses to Der f 1 were higher in homes with family room levels of Der f 1 > or =10 microg/g dust than in homes with Der f 1 <2 microg/g, but differences were not significant in analyses adjusting for cold (P =. 15). Repeated wheeze in the first 2 years of life was associated with increased allergen-specific and PHA proliferative responses.


CONCLUSIONS
Early-life cockroach allergen exposure at 3 months of age predicts allergen-specific lymphocyte proliferative responses at a median of 2 years of age.
Finn
P W
PW
Respiratory and Critical Care Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Boudreau
J O
JO
He
H
H
Wang
Y
Y
Chapman
M D
MD
Vincent
C
C
Burge
H A
HA
Weiss
S T
ST
Perkins
D L
DL
Gold
D R
DR
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors
D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D006023:Glycoproteins; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C094699:allergen Bla g 2; C059296:Fel d 1 protein, Felis domesticus