title: Indoor allergen sensitization and the risk of asthma and eczema in children in Pittsburgh.
abstract: Several studies have shown that sensitization to cockroach and mouse allergens is correlated with presence and severity of asthma, especially among children living in inner cities. This study evaluated the prevalence of positive skin testing to indoor allergens in the Pittsburgh area and the association with asthma and eczema. A retrospective analysis was performed of 540 children from the Pittsburgh area who underwent skin testing to indoor allergens. Presence of asthma and eczema were determined by parent and/or physician report. Asthma and eczema are not significantly more frequent among children who had positive skin testing to cockroaches or mice. However, asthma was more common among children who had positive skin testing to dogs (odds ratio [OR], 1.4; 95% CI, 1.23-1.65), cats (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.21-1.58), and dust mites (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.03-1.37). Eczema was more common in children who had positive skin testing to cats (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.14-2.02). Both asthma (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.18-1.58) and eczema (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.07-1.92) were more prevalent among children with any positive skin test. We did not find that sensitization to cockroaches or mice was correlated with the diagnosis or asthma or eczema in the Pittsburgh area. However, sensitization to any allergen, and to cats and/or dogs specifically, was associated with diagnosis of both asthma and eczema. Our result suggests that allergic sensitization is associated with these diseases, but the implicated allergens may vary.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Brook M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: MacGinnitie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002415:Cats; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000276:immunology; D004285:Dogs; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010414:Pennsylvania; D015995:Prevalence; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens