Study on the relations between concentration of endotoxin in dwelling and atopic asthma in school-age children / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of endotoxin concentration in dwellings on the prevalence of atopic asthma in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Standardized questionnaires of asthma were distributed to the parents of 2986 school children aged between 8 and 12 years and endotoxin content in children's mattress was measured by a kinetic limulus assay. A radioallergosorbent technique--fluorescence enzyme immunoassay (RAST-FEIA) was used to measure the level of specific IgE in serum.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Complete data was available for 904 children with males more than females. There were both negative associations seen between endotoxin levels and both atopic asthma (OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.32-0.72, P < 0.05) and atopic sensitization (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.49-0.94, P < 0.05) but not with non-atopic asthma and wheeze. Comparing with normal people, patients with atopic sensitization, atopic wheeze and atopic asthma had a higher levels of endotoxin (M-W U 15 138.0, P < 0.01, M-W U 4858.0, P < 0.01, M-W U 4041.0, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Exposure to endotoxin in early lives of children might have a protective effect on atopic asthma and sensitization.</p>