Gender differences in indoor allergen exposure and association with current rhinitis
C. Instanes
Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorK. C. Lødrup Carlsen
Department of Paediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorG. Hetland
Department of Cell Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorK.-H. Carlsen
Department of Paediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorP. Mowinckel
Department of Paediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorM. Løvik
Department of Environmental Immunology
Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorC. Instanes
Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorK. C. Lødrup Carlsen
Department of Paediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorG. Hetland
Department of Cell Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorK.-H. Carlsen
Department of Paediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorP. Mowinckel
Department of Paediatrics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorM. Løvik
Department of Environmental Immunology
Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Search for more papers by this authorSummary
Background Differences between boys and girls in allergic manifestations are well known, and this difference is possibly not attributed to physiological differences alone.
Objective We, therefore, investigated whether boys and girls could be exposed to different allergen levels at home and whether indoor allergen levels could be differently associated with rhinitis in boys and girls at 10 years of age.
Methods Cat, dog and house dust mite (HDM) allergen levels in mattress dust and interview data regarding current allergic disease were available for 797 10-year-old children (360 girls) in The Environment and Childhood Asthma Study in Oslo.
Results Girls had higher concentrations of cat and dog allergens in their mattresses compared with boys, also in homes without cats [geometric mean 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 0.37 (0.31, 0.44) for girls and 0.26 (0.23, 0.30) μg cat allergen/g dust for boys, P=0.002], and without dogs [girls: 0.74 (0.63, 0.86) and boys: 0.55 (0.48, 0.62) μg dog allergen/g dust, P=0.003]. No difference was observed for HDM allergen (Der p 1) levels. Of the 190 (23.8%) children reporting current rhinitis, 144 (75.8%) were sensitized to at least one allergen. The adjusted odds ratio for current rhinitis increased with 1.20 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.42) per 1 μg/g dust increase in Der p 1 for girls (P=0.037), but not for boys (P=0.91).
Conclusion Girls had higher levels of cat and dog allergens in mattress dust compared with boys, whereas no difference was observed for Der p 1 allergen. Nevertheless, only increasing levels of Der p 1 and not cat and dog allergens significantly increased the risk of current rhinitis in girls, whereas no significant association was observed for boys.
Cite this as: R. J. Bertelsen, C. Instanes, B. Granum, K. C. Lø;drup Carlsen, G. Hetland, K.-H. Carlsen, P. Mowinckel and M. Løvik, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 1388–1397.
Supporting Information
Table S1. Characteristics of non-included (n=222) and included children (n=797) in the present study characteristics at 10 years of age or otherwise.
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