Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0056, USA.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011 Aug;107(2):120-6. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2011.04.018. Epub 2011 May 28.
Mold exposures may contribute to the development of asthma, but previous studies have lacked a standardized approach to quantifying exposures.
To determine whether mold exposures at the ages of 1 and/or 7 years were associated with asthma at the age of 7 years.
This study followed up a high-risk birth cohort from infancy to 7 years of age. Mold was assessed by a DNA-based analysis for the 36 molds that make up the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) at the ages of 1 and 7 years. At the age of 7 years, children were evaluated for allergic sensitization and asthma based on symptom history, spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide, and airway reversibility. A questionnaire was administered to the parent regarding the child's asthma symptoms and other potential cofactors.
At the age of 7 years, 31 of 176 children (18%) were found to be asthmatic. Children living in a high ERMI value (≥5.2) home at 1 year of age had more than twice the risk of developing asthma than those in low ERMI value homes (<5.2) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-6.26). Of the other covariates, only parental asthma (aOR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.69-9.62) and allergic sensitization to house dust mite (aOR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.55-11.07) were risk factors for asthma development. In contrast, air-conditioning at home reduced the risk of asthma development (aOR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.14-0.83). A high ERMI value at 7 years of age was not associated with asthma at 7 years of age.
Early exposure to molds as measured by ERMI at 1 year of age, but not 7 years of age, significantly increased the risk for asthma at 7 years of age.
霉菌暴露可能导致哮喘的发生，但之前的研究缺乏量化暴露的标准化方法。
确定 1 岁和/或 7 岁时的霉菌暴露与 7 岁时的哮喘是否相关。
本研究对一个高危出生队列进行了从婴儿期到 7 岁的随访。在 1 岁和 7 岁时，通过基于 DNA 的分析评估了 36 种构成环境相对霉菌指数（ERMI）的霉菌。在 7 岁时，根据症状史、肺活量测定、呼出气一氧化氮和气道可逆性评估儿童的过敏致敏和哮喘情况。向父母发放了一份关于儿童哮喘症状和其他潜在协变量的问卷。
在 7 岁时，176 名儿童中有 31 名（18%）被诊断为哮喘。1 岁时居住在 ERMI 值较高（≥5.2）家庭的儿童患哮喘的风险是居住在 ERMI 值较低（<5.2）家庭的儿童的两倍以上（调整后的优势比[aOR]，2.6；95%置信区间[CI]，1.10-6.26）。在其他协变量中，只有父母哮喘（aOR，4.0；95% CI，1.69-9.62）和对屋尘螨过敏（aOR，4.1；95% CI，1.55-11.07）是哮喘发展的危险因素。相比之下，家中的空调降低了哮喘发展的风险（aOR，0.3；95% CI，0.14-0.83）。7 岁时的高 ERMI 值与 7 岁时的哮喘无关。
1 岁时通过 ERMI 测量的早期霉菌暴露，而非 7 岁时的暴露，显著增加了 7 岁时哮喘的风险。
