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AIRALLERG - Effects of outdoor
and indoor air pollution on the development of allergic disease in children.
It is well known that exposure to
mite and pet allergens in the home environment is an important risk factor for
the development of childhood allergy and asthma. The adjuvant role of outdoor
and indoor air pollution and the adjuvant or possible even protective role of
exposure to components derived from moulds and bacteria is less well understood,
however. Recent work has suggested that outdoor air pollution, especially diesel
exhaust, may enhance allergic sensitisation or may increase allergic reactions
among subjects who are already sensitised to common allergens.
The objectives of the proposed
study are:
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To establish the association
between early childhood exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution and the
incidence of allergic disease in children up to age 4.
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To establish the interaction
between exposure to specific outdoor air pollution components (notably
diesel exhaust and NO2) and specific indoor contaminants
(notably
common allergens and mould and bacterial products, environmental tobacco
smoke, NO2 and nitrous acid) in explaining the incidence of
allergic disease in children.
To reach these
objectives,
exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution will be assessed in the framework
of an ongoing birth cohort study in Stockholm ("BAMSE"), in
collaboration with studies of similar birth cohorts in The Netherlands and
Germany. Outdoor air pollution data have been largely collected already in the
framework of an ongoing EU funded study (TRAPCA, ENV97-0506) and will be
augmented by data from existing monitoring networks in the three countries. Dust
samples were collected in the first year of life of the participating children
in all three studies. Samples are available from child mattresses as well as
living room floors. Data are already available on mite and pet allergen exposure.
A selection of these samples will be analysed for microbial contaminants,
notably bacterial endotoxin, and mould extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and b
1>3 glucans. In a selected number of homes, measurements of indoor NO2,
nitrous acid and nicotine will be conducted in the framework of the proposed
study.
The results will be published in a
Swedish report as well as in scientific journals. The mother study (BAMSE ) is
now well known and our previous experience is that new results are interesting
also for news media and the general public.
Homepage:
www.iras.uu.nl/research/projects_env_and_health/eh06.php
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