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Published on: November 19, 2016
Domestic aeroallergen exposures among infants in an English town
W Atkinson1, J Harris, P Mills
1Dept of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Imperial College (National Heart and Lung Institute), London, UK.
Insights
Environmental factors influence childhood asthma development. This study found that home conditions like dampness and winter sampling correlated with higher house dust mite allergen (Der p 1) levels, while smoking was linked to lower Der p 1. Cat allergen (Fel d 1) levels showed different associations.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Epidemiology
- Allergen Exposure
- Childhood Asthma
Background:
- Childhood asthma and atopy are significant public health concerns.
- Understanding factors modifying the relationship between early allergen exposure and disease development is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine factors modifying the relationship between infant allergen exposure and subsequent atopy and asthma.
- Investigate domestic, behavioral, and seasonal influences on allergen levels in homes of infants.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving 643 infants in the UK.
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) used to quantify house dust mite (Der p 1) and cat (Fel d 1) allergen concentrations in dust samples.
- Questionnaires collected data on potential risk factors for atopy and asthma.
Main Results:
- Significant variation in Der p 1 and Fel d 1 concentrations observed.
- Higher Der p 1 levels associated with carpeted, damp living rooms, winter sampling, and high home occupancy.
- Smoking in homes significantly reduced Der p 1 levels, but not Fel d 1.
- No consistent differences in allergen levels based on parental or sibling atopy/asthma status.
Conclusions:
- Domestic, behavioral, and seasonal factors interact complexly with early allergen exposure.
- These interactions influence allergen levels in British children's homes.
- Findings highlight the multifactorial nature of asthma development in early life.
Abstract:
A multicentre, prospective cohort study of childhood asthma was established in three European countries; the purpose of the project is the examination of factors which modify the relationship between allergen exposure in infant life and subsequent atopy and asthma. Dust samples were collected from the homes of 643 infants in a single town in the UK (the first cohort) and assayed for house dust mites (Der p 1) and cat allergen (Fel d 1) concentrations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A questionnaire with potential relevance to the development of atopy and asthma was completed. A wide variation in exposure to both allergens was observed. Carpeted, double-glazed or damp living rooms, and those sampled in the winter months, had higher levels of Der p 1, but these features did not predict Fel d 1 concentrations. Measures of high home occupancy were positively related to Der p 1 concentrations; and inversely with levels of Fel d 1, a finding which could not be explained by cat ownership. Homes in which one or more persons smoked had significantly lower concentrations of Der p 1, but not Fel d 1. There were no consistent differences in allergen levels between homes where one or more parent or sibling was either atopic or asthmatic. These findings indicate complex interactions among domestic, behavioural and seasonal factors and early allergen exposure in British children.
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