title: Climatic factors correlate with innate immune response in children with Dermatophagoides farinae-induced allergic asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of climatic factors on immune markers in children with Dermatophagoides farinae induced asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum concentrations of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and D. farinae-specific immunoglobulin  E (DF-sIgE), together with peripheral blood eosinophil counts, were measured in children with D. farinae induced (n = 75) or non-D. farinae-induced asthma (n = 17), and in healthy controls (n = 30). Mean temperature and relative humidity in the month before  enrolment were calculated from meteorological data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MIF, ECP and eosinophil counts were significantly higher in children with D. farinae-induced asthma than in controls, but comparable with non-D. farinae-induced asthma. Children with D. farinae-induced asthma  in a low temperature (< 16 °C) or low relative humidity (< 70%) climate had significantly lower DF-sIgE, MIF, ECP and eosinophil counts than those in a high temperature or high humidity climate. DF-sIgE correlated positively with MIF, ECP and eosinophil count in D. farinae-induced  asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Temperature and humidity influenced MIF, ECP, eosinophil count and DF-sIgE in D. farinae-induced asthma. Understanding this relationship may provide new strategies for asthma prevention and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Chongming Branching Hospital, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 25 Nan men gang Road, Chongming County, Shanghai 202150, China. tanyq66@yahoo.cn
authors.forename: Y-Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000276:immunology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002980:Climate; D040001:Dermatophagoides farinae / Q000276:immunology*; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein / Q000097:blood*; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C515598:MIF protein, human