Wheeze, allergic sensitization and geohelminth infection in Butajira, Ethiopia.
BACKGROUND
The effect of geohelminth infection on wheeze and allergen sensitization is inconsistent across different epidemiological studies.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between self-reported wheeze, self-reported asthma, allergic sensitization and geohelminth infection in urban and rural areas of Butajira, southern Ethiopia.


METHODS
Questionnaire data on wheeze, asthma and a range of confounding variables was gathered in a cross-sectional study of 7649 people aged 5 years or more from the Butajira Rural Health Project database. Allergic skin sensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and cockroach was measured, and a stool sample collected for qualitative and quantitative geohelminth analysis.


RESULTS
Wheeze was weakly associated with allergic sensitization to D. pteronyssinus and cockroach (odds ratios (OR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98-1.51, and 1.27, 95% CI 1.00-1.62, respectively). Self-reported asthma was related to sensitization to D. pteronyssinus only (OR 4.09, 95% CI 2.86-5.84). Geohelminths were present in 33.8% of participants, and the median egg load in infested individuals was 6 eggs/g. Overall, presence of any geohelminths was associated with a diminished risk of cockroach sensitization (adjusted OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.68-0.99) but there were no significant protective effects of any geohelminth infection against wheeze or asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
In a developing country community with relatively low geohelminth prevalence and intensity, we found weak association between allergic sensitization and wheeze, but no evidence of a protective effect of geohelminths against wheeze or asthma.
Davey
G
G
Addis Ababa University, 1000 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. nerurkar@telecom.net.et
Venn
A
A
Belete
H
H
Berhane
Y
Y
Britton
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001200:Ascaris / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D040002:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus / Q000276:immunology; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D048189:Hymenolepis nana / Q000276:immunology; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D012424:Rural Population; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014258:Trichuris / Q000276:immunology; D014505:Urban Population
D000485:Allergens