Residential proximity fine particles related to allergic sensitisation and asthma in primary school children

• Published in: Respiratory medicine Vol. 101; no. 8; pp. 1721 - 1729
• Main Authors: Annesi-Maesano, Isabella, Moreau, David, Caillaud, Denis, Lavaud, François, Le Moullec, Yvon, Taytard, André, Pauli, Gabrielle, Charpin, Denis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2007; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Air Pollutants; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollutants - toxicity; Air pollution; Allergic rhinitis; Allergies; Asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - etiology; Atoms & subatomic particles; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Children & youth; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Cities; Confidence intervals; Dermatitis; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Epidemiological Monitoring; Families & family life; Family medical history; Female; France; France - epidemiology; Humans; Life Sciences; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Nitrogen Dioxide; Nitrogen Dioxide - analysis; Nitrogen Dioxide - toxicity; NO 2; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Outdoor air quality; Particle Size; Particulate Matter; Particulate Matter - analysis; Particulate Matter - toxicity; PM 2.5; Pneumology; Pollutants; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Pulmonary/Respiratory; Rhinitis; Rhinitis - epidemiology; Rhinitis - etiology; Risk Factors; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Schools; Sensitivity analysis; Skin; Studies; Traffic; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Urban areas; Urban Health; Vehicle Emissions; Vehicle Emissions - analysis; France; Air pollution; Allergic rhinitis; PM 2.5; Traffic; NO 2; Asthma; Allergy; Nose disease; Rhinitis; NO2; Health and environment; Fine particle; PM2.5; Bronchus disease; ENT disease; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Child; Public health; Pneumology; Human; Immunopathology; Lung disease; Proximity; Respiratory disease; School age; Aerosols; Primary school
• ISSN: 0954-6111; 1532-3064
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2007.02.022

Summary Background Fine particulate matter has been linked to allergies by experimental and epidemiological data having used aggregated data or concentrations provided by fixed-site monitoring stations, which may have led to misclassification of individual exposure to air pollution. Methods A semi-individual design was employed to relate individual data on asthma and allergy of 5338 school children (10.4±0.7 years) attending 108 randomly chosen schools in 6 French cities to the concentrations of PM2.5 (fine particles with aerodynamic diameter ⩽2.5 μm) assessed in proximity of their homes. Children underwent a medical visit including skin prick test (SPT) to common allergens, exercise-induced bronchial (EIB) reactivity and skin examination for flexural dermatitis. Their parents filled in a standardised health questionnaire. Results After adjustment for confounders and NO2 as a potential modifier, the odds of suffering from EIB and flexural dermatitis at the period of the survey, past year atopic asthma and SPT positivity to indoor allergens were significantly increased in residential settings with PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 10 μg/m3 (WHO air quality limit values). The relationships were strengthened in long-term residents (current address for at least 8 years). Conclusions Findings support the hypothesis that changes in allergy prevalence observed in recent decades might be partly related to interactions between traffic-related air pollution and allergens. Further longitudinal investigations are needed to corroborate such results.