Mite allergen exposure is a risk for the incidence of specific sensitization☆,☆☆,★,★★
Section snippets
METHODS
Data were collected in a longitudinal study designed to assess risk factors for allergy and asthma in children. To obtain a population-based sample of elementary school children, all parents whose children started school in 1989 were invited to participate. Questionnaires were distributed to 2604 families and were returned by 1812 families (70%). Data from the first cross section are presented in detail elsewhere.7 Three consecutive skin prick tests (SPTs), each 12 months apart, were carried
RESULTS
In the course of the 2-year follow-up study, the number of participants decreased from 1812 (initial age: mean, 7.3 years; standard deviation, 0.4 years) to 1392 (data with regard to the incidence of sensitization). However, the distribution of relevant variables did not change (Table I).
The changes (transitions) regarding sensitization to Dpt between SPT 1 and SPT 2 (period I) and between SPT 2 and SPT 3 (period II) are presented in Fig. 1. During period I, among 1034 individuals with
DISCUSSION
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dust mite allergen exposure on the incidence of sensitization to Dpt. For this purpose, the Der p I concentration in a dust sample from each child's mattress, which has been shown to be the best indicator of mite infestation, was measured.13 Dust sampling was carried out in the same season, providing similar distribution patterns for the months in which the samples were taken. This aspect is of importance because natural variation and
Acknowledgements
We thank Mrs. Susanne Huber, Mrs. Monika Mortensen, and Mrs. Sabine Linser-Haar for their excellent collaboration in the field study; they conducted the SPTs, the household visits, and the analyses in the laboratory, respectively.
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From aUniversity Children’s Hospital, Freiburg; b University Children’s Hospital, Vienna; and c NORDIG Institute for Health Research and Prevention, Hamburg.
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Supported by the German Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (grant no. 0701565).
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Reprint requests: Joachim Kuehr, MD, University Children’s Hospital, D-79106 Freiburg, Mathildenstr. 1, Germany.
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