PURPOSE: The study aims to classify schools based on traffic pollutants and their complex sources, to assess the environment, to determine the state of allergic diseases among students using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in children (ISAAC) questionnaire, and to assess their connection to air pollutants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of seven schools were divided into three categories according to the characteristics of their surrounding environments: three schools in traffic-related zones, two schools in complex source zones I (urban), and two schools in complex source zones II (industrial complex). ISAAC questionnaires were administered and the 4404 completed questionnaires were analyzed. RESULTS: The frequency of asthma treatment during the past 12 months showed a significant increase (p<0.05) with exposure to NO2 [1.67, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 1.03-2.71] in the complex source zones. The frequency of allergic rhinitis treatment during the past 12 months increased significantly with exposure to Black Carbon (1.60, 95% CIs 1.36-1.90) (p<0.001), SO2 (1.09, 95% CIs 1.01-1.17) (p<0.05), NO2 (1.18, 95% CIs 1.07-1.30) (p<0.01) for all subjects. CONCLUSION: In terms of supporting children's health, care, and prevention related to major spaces for children, such as school zones, spaces used in coming to and leaving school, playgrounds, and classrooms are essential to ensuring not only the safety of children from traffic accidents but also their protection from local traffic pollutants and various hazardous environmental factors.
Adolescent ; Air Pollutants/*adverse effects ; Air Pollution/*adverse effects ; Asthma/chemically induced/*epidemiology/*etiology ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial/chemically induced/*epidemiology ; Schools ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vehicle Emissions/analysis/toxicity

There are more than 50 000 workers in Jinchuan Group Co, Ltd (JNMC). Since all staff in JNMC are eligible for a medical examination every two years, only 23 484 nickel-exposed subjects who participated in medical examination were included in this study. Their data, collected from June 22, 2011 to September 28, 2012, in a comprehensive epidemiological survey and during medical examinations, permitted an extensive evaluation of the relation between metal exposure, gene, epigenetics and risk of human diseases. Their lifestyle investigation showed that the overall prevalence of current smokers, alcohol drinkers, and tea drinkers was 39.1%, 19.7%, and 55.2%, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension, allergic rhinitis and cholecystitis , the top 3 prevalent diseases, was 11.7%, 11.0%, and 8.9%, respectively.
Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; epidemiology ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; China ; epidemiology ; Cholecystitis ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Life Style ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; mortality ; Nickel ; toxicity ; Occupational Exposure ; statistics & numerical data ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; epidemiology ; Smoking ; epidemiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics of ocular symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and the impact of the ocular symptoms on patients' quality of life. METHOD: AR patients' history and clinical data were collected and analyzed. One hundred cases were extracted from adult patients with and without ocular symptoms in each group and their quality of life were evaluated using rhino-conjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ). RESULT: Totally 1119 cases were collected and 859 cases had ocular symptoms. Of the patients with ocular symptoms, 582 cases were mild, 234 cases were moderate, 43 cases were severe. Eye itching was the most common symptom, followed by tears, hyperemia and swelling. Patients with ocular symptoms had longer disease history than non ocular symptom group (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between ocular and nasal symptoms (P < 0.01); patients with ocular symptoms had more severe nasal symptoms than patients without ocular problems; while patients with moderate to severe AR had more severe ocular symptoms than mild AR patients (P < 0.01). Female patients had higher incidence (P < 0.05) and ocular symptoms score (P < 0.05) than male. Children less than 10 years old had a relative lower incidence and score of ocular symptoms. While the incidence and score had an increasing trend for patients older than fifty. There was no difference regarding the type and number of allergen in the patients with and without ocular symptom. Moreover, patients with ocular symptoms had higher scores in the domains of non-nose/eye symptoms, practical problems, ocular symptoms, emotional function and total score in RQLQ than patients without ocular symptom. CONCLUSION It was common for the AR patients to have ocular symptoms, and ocular symptoms had obvious influence on the patients' quality of life. So controlling of the ocular symptoms should not be ignored during the diagnosis and treatment of AR.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Allergens ; Child ; Eye Diseases ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; complications ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; complications ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVEOver the past few decades, secondhand smoke exposure among children become more serious and with China's implementation of the national policy of family planning and the family structure change, domestic pet has gradually become popular. This survey aimed to investigate the interactive effects of pet ownership and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on children's respiratory diseases and symptoms.

METHODUsing a cluster random sampling method, 5 elementary schools and 10 kindergartens were randomly selected from each district of Shenyang, and all children from the selected schools were recruited in this survey. The information about the children's respiratory diseases, conditions of pets ownership and ETS exposure were collected by an international standard questionnaire from American Thoracic Society.

RESULTA total of 9679 questionnaires were distributed to all the students enrolled in the selected schools, and 8798 completed questionnaires were collected with a response rate of 90.9%. Finally, 8733 questionnaires were used for further analysis. The results showed that the number of the patients and the prevalence of persistent cough, persistent phlegm, doctor-diagnosed asthma, current asthma, wheeze, and allergic rhinitis in children were 835 (9.57%), 366 (4.42%), 559 (6.40%), 215 (2.46%), 229 (2.62%), 397 (4.55%), respectively. After controlling for the effects of age, gender and other confounding factors, the results from the multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that either pet ownership or the ETS exposure significantly increased the risk of prevalence of respiratory diseases and symptoms in children. Compared with control group children, only the prenatal exposure to passive smoking or domestic pets made the risk of children with allergic rhinitis increased respectively 34% (OR = 1.34, 95%CI = 0.99 - 1.80) and 106% (OR = 2.06, 95%CI = 1.28 - 3.31), while the exposure of these two factors made the risk of children with allergic rhinitis increased 376% (OR = 4.76, 95%CI = 2.65 - 8.85), compared with the separate effect, the range of increase was 2.5 times.There was a significant interaction between pet ownership and ETS exposure on persistent cough, persistent phlegm, and allergic rhinitis in children, whereas, the combined effects of these two factors on doctor-diagnosed asthma, current asthma, and wheeze was approximately as expected on the basis of their independent effects on an additive scale.

CONCLUSIONThis study provides evidence that pet ownership and ETS exposure increases the risk of respiratory diseases and symptoms in children, and there was a significant interaction effects between these two factors on some respiratory diseases and symptoms.

Air Pollution, Indoor ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; Animals ; Asthma ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Pets ; Prevalence ; Respiratory Sounds ; etiology ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether sublingual immunotherapy(SLIT) can take effect during the early phase in allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. METHOD: Sixty subjects diagnosed as allergic rhinoconjunctivitis were enrolled and divided into the SLIT group and the control group. The daily symptom and medication scores were recorded and analyzed. RESULT: After 4 weeks treatments, the daily symptoms score had significantly reduced in SLIT group(P<0. 05). After 6, 8, 10 weeks treatments, the daily symptoms scores of subjects in the SLIT group had all shown continuous reduction, with no consumption of medication. The comparison between daily symptom score at 4th week and those in 6th week or 8th week or 10th week in the SLIT group had shown no significant difference (all P > 0.05). Whereas, the daily symptoms score and daily medication score in control group had shown changes with fluctuations. The correlation analysis had indicated that the daily medication score in the control group had a significant negative correlation with the daily symptom score (F = 554.9, P < 0.01). No serious adverse events occurred in this study. CONCLUSION SLIT could take effect in patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis sensitive to house dust mite as fast as the 4th week.
Administration, Sublingual ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Allergens ; immunology ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Conjunctivitis, Allergic ; etiology ; therapy ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyroglyphidae ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; etiology ; therapy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between serum specific immunoglobin E(sIgE) and skin prick test(SPT) and their differences of the positive rate. METHOD: One hundred and nine patients with allergic rhinitis were detected the serum slgE. The patients had positive symptoms and signs, positive SPT results with at least one allergen. RESULT: Specific IgE and SPT results of Dp,Df and Artemisia showed a positive correlation (r = 0.520, 0.4413, 0.764, P < 0.01). sIgE positive rates were 55.0%, 54.1% and 17.4% for Dp, Df and Artemisia respectively, whereas SPT positive rates were 68.8%,79.8% and 27.5% respectively. The difference between the positive rates of the sIgE and SPT was significant (chi2 = 27.93,18. 20,60. 60, are P< 0.01). CONCLUSION There was a good correlation between specific IgE and SPT. SPT is more sensitive than sIgE, but SPT can not substitute for slgE,vice versa.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Allergens ; analysis ; Animals ; Artemisia ; Child ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; blood ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin Tests ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence of local reactions (LRs) and systemic reactions (SRs) of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and to analyze the potential risk factors of such reactions in Chinese population.

METHODThis is a retrospective study on 234 dust mite sensitized patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma who received allergen immunotherapy in our hospital from 2003 to 2010. Chart review was conducted to capture clinical data of reactions to immunotherapy. Parameters included signs and symptoms, the onset of reaction, and interventions in treating such reactions, particularly, the administration of epinephrine (EPI) and adjustment of vaccine dosage due to LRs and SRs.

RESULTThe 234 patients received a total of 7679 injections. Among them, 4973 LRs (64.8%) and 235 SRs (3.1%) were observed in 67 patients (28.6% of all patients). SRs included respiratory symptoms (205 events, 88.4%) and cutaneous symptoms (31.5%). Of the total of 235 SR events, 212 (90.2%) were presented as mild SRs and 23 (9.8%) were in severe SR category (grade III and grade IV, EAACI grading system). Overall, severe SRs accounted for 0.3% of total injections. Seventeen of the 23 SR events required epinephrine treatment (0.2% of total injections). Of the 67 patients, 61 completed the course of treatment after dose adjustment; 36 patients had their doses decreased prior to further advancing to target dose. Nineteen subjects tolerated splitting two injections at 30 minutes interval. Six patients advanced the dose based on protocol and another 6 had to stop immunotherapy. Most of the SRs (77.4%) occurred during the maintenance phase of immunotherapy. The levels of TIgE, SIgE D1 and SIgE D2 were found to be significantly higher in patients with SRs comparing to patients without SRs (P < 0.05). SRs more commonly occurred in patients with age less than 14 years than their older counterparts (95.5% vs. 85.6%, OR = 3.58, 95%CI = 1.040 - 12.322, P < 0.01). The incidence of SRs were significantly higher in asthma patients who received SCIT than non-asthma patients (OR = 2, 95%CI = 1.136 - 4.624).

CONCLUSIONOur study suggests that risk factors of SRs include maintenance phase (higher allergen vaccine doses), patients with asthma, age of less than 14 years, higher levels of TIgE, and SIgE D1 and SIgE D2. Effective management includes proper dose adjustment, splitting doses into 2 injections at 30 min apart, and strictly following immunotherapy indications.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Antigens, Dermatophagoides ; administration & dosage ; immunology ; Asthma ; immunology ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; epidemiology ; etiology ; therapy ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mites ; immunology ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; immunology ; therapy ; Risk Assessment ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the characteristics of allergic reactions to common aeroallergens in young children with wheezing or allergic diseases by examining the results of skin prick test in children under 5 years old.

METHODSA total of 196 children under 5 years old, from a district of Changsha City sampled between September 1 to December 31, 2010, were assigned into two groups according to the presence of wheezing or allergic diseases: allergen screening (n=102) and control (n=94). Skin prick tests were performed on both groups.

RESULTSThe positive rate of skin prick test in the allergen screening group was 61.8% (63/102), and this was significantly higher than in the control group (9.6%, 9/94; P<0.05). In the allergen screening group, the positive rate of skin prick test in children with both recurrent wheezing and allergic rhinitis was significantly higher than in children with wheezing alone (P<0.05). The frequency of wheezing was positively correlated with a positive skin prick test (r=0.91; P<0.05). The positive rate of skin prick test for mites was significantly higher than for other aeroallergens (24.2% vs 3.5%; P<0.05) in the allergen screening group. Skin prick testing of the children for dermatophagoides farinae showed a higher positive rate than for dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (50.0% vs 14.7%; P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSWheezing in early childhood may be associated with the occurrence of asthma. Skin prick testing contributes to the diagnosis of allergic diseases and assessment of allergic reactions to aeroallergens in children with wheezing.

Asthma ; etiology ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Respiratory Sounds ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Skin Tests

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the allergen distribution of subjects suffered from the allergic rhinitis in Changji district. METHOD: Skin prick test was employed on all the 1 564 sufferers by 17 sorts of allergic stock solution, with the physiological saline to be the negative control and the histamine to be the positive control. RESULT: The positive rate of allergen citanest was 85.17%. Furthermore, Chenopodium and Lupulus, as the main allergen substances, were found out to be the highest positive rate among 1332 subjects who were detected to be positive, with pollen of trees following. Whereas, the positive rate of allergic rhinitis caused by dust mite, fungus and canine epidermis was relatively low. CONCLUSION The main allergens of the allergic rhinitis in Changji district are Chenopodium and Lupulus, similar as the dust mite. The allergen prick test, which is characterized as accuracy, sensitiveness and fastness, is an essential way to seek and screen those allergens. Thus, it can provide scientific instruction to the prevention of the allergic rhinitis in Changji district.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Allergens ; immunology ; Animals ; Asthma ; etiology ; immunology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Fungi ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mites ; immunology ; Pollen ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; epidemiology ; immunology ; Skin Tests ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDCockroaches are an important indoor allergen source causing allergic rhinitis and asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the cockroach prevalence in mainland of China and the cross-reactivity of IgE between cockroach and house dust mite allergen in Chinese patients.

METHODSThe cockroach sensitization pattern was based on a skin prick test (SPT) obtained from a national multicenter prevalence study, in which 6304 patients from 25 allergy centers across China participated. Factors, including different regions of China, age, gender and the correlations between the American and German cockroaches and house dust mite Der p were investigated. Eighteen out of 1236 clinical sera from south China were selected to perform the cross-inhibition assay between house dust mites and cockroaches.

RESULTSTotally 25.7% of patients were SPT positive to the American cockroach (Periplaneta Americana, Per a) and 18.7% SPT positive to the German cockroach (Blattella germanica, Bla g). The prevalence of positive cockroach SPT was higher in southern than in northern China, higher in adults than in children, and higher in males than in females. Patients had relatively low levels of cockroach SPT reactions, mainly class 1 or 2. Of the SPT positive cockroach patients, 88% were also SPT positive to house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Der p). An IgE cross-inhibition study confirmed that Der p sensitization could cause false positive SPT reactions against cockroach.

CONCLUSIONSA relatively high prevalence of cockroach sensitivity was found in mainland of China. However, a cross-inhibition study showed that only a small number of patients appear to have Bla g and/or Per a as primary sensitizing source. The importance of cockroaches as a risk factor for sensitization and triggers of allergic symptoms in mainland of China needs to be further investigated.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Allergens ; immunology ; Animals ; Antigens, Dermatophagoides ; immunology ; Asthma ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cockroaches ; immunology ; Cross Reactions ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; epidemiology ; Immunoglobulin E ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; etiology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; etiology