title: Correlation between Asian dust storms and worsening asthma in Western Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Severe wind storms during spring in East Asia, called Asian dust storms (ADS), have been assessed in the past for their effect on health in Asian countries. Our objective was to study the ADS association with asthma symptoms in adult patients in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a telephone survey to assess ADS influence on upper and lower respiratory, ocular and cutaneous symptoms in 98 patients with adult asthma from April to May 2007. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) was also measured from February to May.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Worsening lower respiratory symptoms were noted by 22 of 98 patients during ADS in April, when Japanese cedar pollen levels also increased. During ADS in May, however, Japanese cedar and cypress pollen levels were not elevated, 11 patients had worsening of lower respiratory symptoms. None required emergency treatment for the exacerbation. Lower respiratory symptoms worsening most were cough and sputum; this was more common in patients with allergic rhinitis or atopy than in those without (P < 0.05). Min%Max differed significantly at 88.7 ± 6.6% during dust dispersion period, defined as the ADS day plus the next 6 days, versus 92.0 ± 5.3% during the 7-day period before a dust storm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that ADS aggravated lower respiratory symptoms in adult patients with asthma, but this influence was mild.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respirology and Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Japan. watanabm@grape.med.tottori−u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masanari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Burioka
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kurai
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Igishi
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuoka
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamoto
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suyama
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatsukawa
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chikumi
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sako
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horasaki
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000276:immunology*; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004391:Dust / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008670:Metals / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D014919:Wind
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D004391:Dust; D008670:Metals