Sex differences in respiratory symptoms.

International audienceComment on: * Eur Respir J. 2003 Apr;21(4):672-6

Allergy markers in adults in relation to the timing of pet exposure: the EGEA study.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that early childhood exposure to pets may protect from the development of atopy, but limited information is available on adults. The association of allergy markers in adulthood with current and childhood exposure to pets was studied considering retrospectively the window of exposure. METHODS: Immunoglobulin E (IgE), skin prick tests (SPT), eosinophils were related to exposure to pets in 187 adult asthmatic cases and 243 controls from the Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy (EGEA) study. Analyses were redone after exclusion of subjects who removed pets or experienced symptoms to animals to take into account selection in that retrospective study. RESULTS: In asthmatic cases, current exposure to pets was unrelated to SPT positivity (+), whereas childhood exposure was significantly related to less SPT+ to any allergen, and to cat in particular, with an association restricted to those exposed before 2 years of age [OR = 0.30 (CI 0.12-0.76)]. Considering the relative timing of exposure in relation to asthma onset showed that the protective effect of exposure to pets occurs for pet exposure starting before asthma onset [OR for SPT+ = 0.19 (CI 0.08-0.48)]. CONCLUSION: Results support the hypothesis that exposure to pets in early life, and in particular before asthma onset, may protect against allergen sensitization in adulthood

Ruralité et asthme en France : retour d’expérience sur une approche interdisciplinaire

Alors que les recherches épidémiologiques en milieu africain se caractérisent depuis longtemps par des équipes interdisciplinaires où médecins et biologistes se mêlent aux anthropologues et géographes (Raynaut, 2001 ; Legay, 2006 ; et des références du colloque Milieux de vie et santé, SEH 2006) la recherche biomédicale française appliquée aux sociétés post-industrielles et aux milieux urbanisés fait assez rarement appel aux sciences sociales dans une conception élargie de l’interdisciplinari..

Ruralité et asthme : retour d'expérience sur une approche interdisciplinaire

National audienc

Role of gender and hormone-related events on IgE, atopy, and eosinophils in the Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy.

BACKGROUND: The pattern of asthma over the lifespan is different in male and female patients, but etiologic differences according to gender are only partially understood. In women, information regarding factors explaining perimenstrual asthma and the role of hormone-related aspects on asthma-related phenotypes is scanty. OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationships of eosinophils, IgE, and atopy with (1) asthma according to gender and age of onset and (2) hormone-related events. METHODS: Using data from the Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness and Atopy, adults and children with asthma recruited in chest clinics (n=313) and first-degree relatives of patients with asthma (n=214) were compared with nonasthmatic controls (n=334) and first-degree relatives without asthma (n=595). RESULTS: Among asthmatic women, eosinophilia was significantly associated with perimenstrual asthma independently from age, smoking, and asthma severity (eosinophils/mm(3) 330 vs 194; P=.01). In nonasthmatic women, IgE level was significantly decreased (by half) and atopy decreased with menopause, and IgE increased with oral contraceptive use, independently from age and smoking. Considering both genders, the increase of eosinophil counts with asthma was significantly greater in women with childhood-onset asthma than in women with adulthood-onset or in men in general. No interaction between gender and asthma was observed for eosinophils in children and for IgE level and atopy in children and adults. CONCLUSION: Results suggest a role of hormone-related events on asthma-related traits and support the hypothesis of the role of eosinophils in the persistence and severity of asthma

Influence of asthma on the validity of reported lifelong environmental tobacco smoke in the EGEA study.

The aim of this study was to assess the short-term reproducibility and the validity of reported ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) exposure, with a special emphasis on the potential misclassification related to personal or family history of asthma. Analyses were based on the data on the Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy (EGEA), a case-control study of asthma that included first degree relatives of asthmatic cases. The study was comprised of 348 families of asthmatics recruited in six chest clinics throughout France and 416 population-based controls. For studying the validity of ETS reports, personal active smoking histories reported by family members were taken as reference. The reproducibility of ETS exposure report was good, and independent of asthma. The validity of the report of maternal and paternal smoking in childhood and spouse smoking during life was high (overall agreement > or = 84%). Mothers of asthmatic children significantly underreported their smoking habits when questioned on their children's passive tobacco exposure. Offspring of parents who had stopped smoking underestimated their ETS exposure in childhood. In conclusion, interviews with mothers on their personal active smoking habits may provide a more accurate estimate of their asthmatic child's passive exposure than asking mothers specifically about their children's passive exposure. There was no indication that asthma status (either of the parent/spouse or of the respondent) by itself influences the report of ETS exposure during childhood or adulthood