Influence of PM1, PM2.5, PM10 Concentrations in Indoor School Environment on Spirometric Parameters in Schoolchildren

The influence of the aerosols particles on the lung function was investigated by the measurements of lung function parameters in children at secondary school located in the centre of city Wroclaw (south – west of Poland). Simultaneous daily indoor and outdoor measurements of PM1, PM2,5, PM10 have been conducted with the use of Harvard cascade impactors (MS&T Area Samplers). In the study 186 children age 13–14 yrs underwent repeated spirometry (Blue Spiro) at the same time of day, 5 times during the winter/spring (heating season) and 5 times in summer/autumn. Exposure to indoor fine particulate matter PM2,5 significantly worseness FEV1 in the lung function of secondary school children (Pearson correlation: median versus indoor PM2,5, r = -0,95; p < 0.05). Correlation of the lung function parameters with other particles PM1, PM10 measured indoor and outdoor were not statistically significant. PM2.5 measured outdoor was also not significantly correlated with lung function parameters. Considerable effort should be made to improve ambient air quality. Especially there is a need to measure and control the fine particulate matter PM2,5 in winter as it has the highest impact on lung function in children

The allergic sensitization in infants with atopic eczema from different countries

No study has compared allergic sensitization patterns in infants with atopic eczema from different countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of allergic sensitization in a cohort of infants with atopic eczema participating in a multicentre, international study

Confirmation of the association between high levels of immunoglobulin E food sensitization and eczema in infancy: an international study

Background Studies of Australian infants have reported that more than 80% of those with moderate atopic eczema (AE) have high levels of IgE food sensitization (IgE-FS) that are commonly associated with IgE food allergy. Objectives To explore the relationship between high levels of IgE-FS and AE in a large cohort of young children with eczema participating in a multi-centre, international study. Methods Two thousand one hundred and eighty-four subjects (mean age 17.6 months, range 11.8-25.4; 1246 males) with active eczema from atopic families from 94 centres in 12 countries were studied. Clinical history, Scoring Atopic Dermatitis index as a measure of eczema severity and CAP-FEIA measurements for total IgE and IgE antibody levels to cow milk, egg and peanut were entered into a database. If CAP-FEIA levels exceeded previously reported age-specific cut-off levels for 95% positive predictive values (PPVs) for food allergy, subjects were defined as having high-risk IgE-FS (HR-IgE-FS). Results Serum was available from 2048 patients; 55.5% were atopic. The frequency of HR-IgE-FS to milk, egg and/or peanut was the greatest in patients whose eczema developed in the first 3 months of life and the least in those whose eczema developed after 12 months (P < 0.0001). In a regression analysis to allow for potential confounding factors, children with HR-IgE-FS had the most severe eczema and the youngest age of onset (P < 0.001); 64% of infants with severe eczema of onset-age <3 months had HR-IgE-FS. Conclusion Early-onset severe eczema in infancy was associated with HR-IgE-FS. Clinical implications Food allergies should be routinely assessed in infants with moderate or severe eczema. Capsule summary In eczematous infants, the earlier the age of onset, and the greater the severity of eczema, the greater the frequency of associated high levels of IgE-FS