Vartiainen Erkki, Petäys Tuula, Haahtela Tari, Jousilahti Pekka, Pekkanen Juha
National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2002 Apr;109(4):643-8. doi: 10.1067/mai.2002.123307.
There is growing evidence to show that atopic diseases are more common in Western Europe than in the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe.
The aim of this study was to assess whether a similar difference exists between the most eastern province of Finland and a neighboring western district of Russia.
A random sample of 25- to 54-year-old subjects was taken from the population registers in the North Karelia Province in eastern Finland and from the Pitkäranta district across the border in the western part of Russia. Participants filled out a questionnaire on atopic and allergic symptoms and participated in a clinical study, which included skin prick tests with 11 airborne allergens and IgE measurements.
Self-reported hay fever, allergic eye symptoms, atopic eczema, and asthma were much more common in Finland than in Russia. In Finland 34.2% and in Russia 21.8% had at least one positive skin prick test reaction. In Finland 21.5% but in Russia only 15.8% had at least one elevated allergen-specific IgE value of the 5 values measured. From 6% to 47% of the differences in self-reported symptoms between the countries were explained by atopy, as measured by means of skin prick testing or specific IgE values.
A major difference in clinical allergic diseases and signs of symptoms was observed between the 2 geographically adjacent areas. This suggests that the difference in clinical allergy and atopic disposition is related to the differences in lifestyle and environmental factors.
越来越多的证据表明，特应性疾病在西欧比东欧的前社会主义国家更为常见。
本研究旨在评估芬兰最东部省份与俄罗斯西部相邻地区之间是否存在类似差异。
从芬兰东部北卡累利阿省和俄罗斯西部边境对面的皮特卡兰塔区的人口登记册中随机抽取25至54岁的受试者。参与者填写了一份关于特应性和过敏症状的问卷，并参与了一项临床研究，其中包括对11种空气传播过敏原进行皮肤点刺试验和测量IgE。
自我报告的花粉症、过敏性眼症状、特应性湿疹和哮喘在芬兰比在俄罗斯更为常见。在芬兰，34.2%的人至少有一次皮肤点刺试验阳性反应，而在俄罗斯这一比例为21.8%。在芬兰，21.5%的人至少有一项所测的5种过敏原特异性IgE值升高，而在俄罗斯只有15.8%。通过皮肤点刺试验或特异性IgE值测量，两国自我报告症状差异的6%至47%可归因于特应性。
在这两个地理相邻地区观察到临床过敏性疾病和症状体征存在重大差异。这表明临床过敏和特应性倾向的差异与生活方式和环境因素的差异有关。
