Department of Climatology and Landscape Ecology, University of Szeged, HU-6701 Szeged, P.O.B. 653, Hungary.
Sci Total Environ. 2012 Aug 15;432:288-96. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.05.088. Epub 2012 Jun 28.
Joint effect of biological (pollen) and chemical air pollutants on asthma emergency room (ER) visits was analyzed for Szeged region of Southern Hungary. Our database of a nine-year period (1999-2007) includes daily number of asthma emergency room (ER) visits, and daily mean concentrations of CO, PM(10), NO, NO(2), O(3) and SO(2), furthermore two pollen variables (Ambrosia and total pollen excluding Ambrosia), as well. The analysis was performed for ER visits of asthma bronchiale using two age groups (adults and the elderly) of males and females for three seasons. Factor analysis was performed in order to clarify the relative importance of the pollutant variables affecting asthma ER visits. Asthma ER visits denote notably stronger associations with the pollutants in adult male than in adult female patients both for the pollen season of Ambrosia and the pollen-free season. Furthermore, adults are substantially more sensitive to severe asthma attack than the elderly for the season of total pollen excluding Ambrosia pollen. The joint effect of the chemical and pollen variables is the highest for the asthma ER cases in the pollen season of Ambrosia, basically due to the extra impact of the total pollen excluding Ambrosia pollen and partly due to Ambrosia pollen. A nonparametric regression technique was applied to discriminate between events of ER visit-no ER visit using pollen and chemical pollutants as explaining variables. Based on multiple correlations, the strongest relationships between ER visits and pollutants are observed during the pollen-free season. The elderly group with asthma bronchiale is characterized by weaker relationships between ER visits and pollutants compared to adults. Ratio of the number of correct decisions on the events of ER visit-no ER visit is lowest for the season of total pollen excluding Ambrosia pollen. Otherwise, similar conclusions hold as those received by multiple correlations.
对匈牙利南部绍尔戈陶尔扬地区的生物（花粉）和化学空气污染物对哮喘急诊（ER）就诊的联合影响进行了分析。我们的数据库包含了九年的数据（1999-2007 年），包括哮喘急诊（ER）就诊的每日人数，以及每日平均浓度的 CO、PM（10）、NO、NO（2）、O（3）和 SO（2），此外还有两个花粉变量（豚草和总花粉，不包括豚草）。分析是针对男性和女性的两个年龄组（成年人和老年人）的哮喘支气管发作进行的。为了阐明影响哮喘 ER 就诊的污染物变量的相对重要性，进行了因子分析。哮喘 ER 就诊与成人男性患者的污染物之间的关联明显强于成人女性患者，无论是在豚草花粉季节还是在无花粉季节。此外，与老年人相比，成年人对总花粉（不包括豚草花粉）季节的严重哮喘发作更为敏感。对于豚草花粉季节的哮喘 ER 病例，化学和花粉变量的联合效应最高，主要是由于总花粉（不包括豚草花粉）的额外影响，部分是由于豚草花粉。应用非参数回归技术区分使用花粉和化学污染物作为解释变量的 ER 就诊和非 ER 就诊事件。基于多重相关性，在无花粉季节观察到 ER 就诊和污染物之间的最强关系。与成年人相比，哮喘支气管病的老年人组中 ER 就诊和污染物之间的关系较弱。在总花粉（不包括豚草花粉）季节，ER 就诊事件和非 ER 就诊事件的正确决策比例最低。否则，与多重相关性得到的结论相似。
