Do airborne particle and allergen exposures in inner city homes of asthmatic children differ from exposures in suburban homes of asthmatic children?

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• 作者：E. Simons ; D. Bunce ; J. Curtin-Brosnan ; K. Callahan ; R. A. Wood ; C. R ; S. Kanchanaraksa ; L. Swartz ; N. Durkin ; P. Eggleston
• 刊名：Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• 出版年：2004
• 出版时间：February 2004
• 年：2004
• 卷：113
• 期：2, Supplement 1
• 页码：S229
• 全文大小：25 K

文摘

Background

Exposure to excessive home cockroach allergens and to pollutants has been implicated in asthma morbidity in inner city children. We asked whether home exposures differ in inner city and suburban asthmatic children.

Methods

Indoor PM 10, PM 2.5, and airborne and dust allergen levels were measured in the homes of 106 asthmatic children, 100 living in inner city Baltimore and 6 living in the surrounding counties. Home conditions and health outcome measures were also compared.

Results

Inner city and suburban children had similar asthma symptoms, medications and healthcare provider visits, but differed with respect to inhaled steroid use (17 % , 50 % , p=0.08) and asthma-induced activity limitations (66 % , 17 % , p=0.026). The inner city homes had more cigarette smoking (65 % , 0 % , p=0.009), more mouse (68 % , 0 % ) and cockroach (70 % , 0 % ) infestation (p=0.002), were in poorer repair (77 % , 0 % , p<0.001), and had fewer central air conditioners (17 % , 100 % , p<0.001) and dryers vented to the outside (33 % , 100 % , p=0.003). PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels were higher (p<0.001, p=0.006) in the inner city homes (medians 48.3 μg/m³, 37.3 μg/m³) than in suburban homes (medians 20.1 μg/m³, 10.8 μg/m³). The inner city homes had higher dust-borne mouse (medians 3550 ng/g, 21.0 ng/g) and cockroach (medians 4.3 u/g, 0.39 u/g) allergen levels (p<0.001). Surprisingly, dust mite and airborne mouse allergen levels were similar.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that homes of inner city Baltimore asthmatic children are in worse repair and have higher levels of many airborne pollutants, but similar airborne mouse allergen levels, compared with homes of suburban asthmatic children.