title: Brief Report: Low-level Mercury Exposure and Risk of Asthma in School-age Children.
abstract: Although mercury exposure has been associated with several adverse health effects, the association with childhood asthma is under investigated. Therefore, we explore the association between mercury and childhood asthma in a population with low mercury levels.
  
  
  
  Mercury levels were measured in blood and urine in 1,056 children ages 5-14 years. In addition to including questions about asthma diagnosis and wheezing, the study measured bronchial hyperresponsiveness and allergic sensitization to common aeroallergens. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for major potential confounders.
  
  
  
  Overall the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) between log blood mercury and the outcomes were 0.8 (95% CI: 0.63, 1.11) for asthma, 0.9 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.14) for wheeze, 1.1 (95% CI: 0.60, 2.03) for bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and 1.0 (95% CI: 0.80, 1.17) for allergic sensitization. Urine mercury adjusted for creatinine was also not associated with any of these allergy-related outcomes.
  
  
  
  While the results did not support an association between mercury exposure and asthma, studies are needed to assess prenatal and lifetime exposure to mercury and asthma.
authors.affiliation: From the aInstitute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; bInstitute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany; cGerman Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany; and dDepartment of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Trepka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury