title: [Prevalence of atopy and atopic diseases in children living in an orphanage in Lodz area--pilot study].
abstract: Over the past three decades there has been an increase in the prevelance of allergic diseases, specially among children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  was to estimate the prevalence of atopy and atopic diseases in children who are living in orphanages in Lodz.
  
  
  METHODS
  120 children 5-18 years old living in 2 orphanages were studied. Main outcome measures were history, physical examination, FEV1, skin prick-test results with 18 allergens; peripheral blood eosinophil count, level of total and specific IgE in children with positive skin-test results were secondary and point.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bronchial asthma was diagnosed in 5.83% (6 of 120) patients, seasonal allergic rhinitis was diagnosed in 2.5% (3 of 120) patients and atopic dermatitis was diagnosed in 1.67% (2 of 120) patients. The skin prick-tests were positive in 12.5% children. Mean number of respiratory tracts infection in early childhood was significantly lower in atopic children than in non-atopic children--3.3 +/- 2,3 vs 8.7 +/- 2.5 (p<0.001). Mean total serum IgE concentration value reached upper limit in 26.6% of non-atopic patients and in 32.4% non-atopic children peripheral blood eosinophil count was significantly increased suggesting possible presence of active helminth infection, what might protect against atopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children living in orphanages we observed the lower prevalence of atopy (12.5%) and atopic diseases than in general population (25.4-40.2%).
authors.affiliation: Uniwersytet Medyczny w Lodzi, Oddział Kliniczny Interny Dzieciecej i Alergologii III Katedry Pediatrii. alergol@kopernik.lodz.pl
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stelmach
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smejda
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaczmarek
authors.forename: Włodzimierz
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stelmach
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D019372:Orphanages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology