title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and childhood asthma.
abstract: Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children living in developed countries and the leading cause of childhood hospitalization and school absenteeism. Prevalence rates of asthma are increasing and show disparities across gender, geographic regions, and ethnic/racial groups. Common risk factors for developing childhood asthma include exposure to tobacco smoke, previous allergic reactions, a family history of asthma, allergic rhinitis or eczema, living in an urban environment, obesity and lack of physical exercise, severe lower respiratory tract infections, and male gender. Asthma exacerbation in children can be triggered by a variety of factors, including allergens (e.g., pollen, dust mites, and animal dander), viral and bacterial infections, exercise, and exposure to airway irritants. Recent studies have shown that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a major component of fine particulate matter from combustion sources, is also associated with onset of asthma, and increasing asthmatic symptoms. In this paper, we review sources of childhood PAH exposure and the association between airborne PAH exposure and childhood asthma prevalence and exacerbation.
authors.affiliation: Program in Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Room E7535, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.forename: Kamau O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Katayoon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bidad
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Strickland
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects; D000485:Allergens / Q000633:toxicity; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution