Song Woo-Jung, Sohn Kyoung-Hee, Kang Min-Gyu, Park Han-Ki, Kim Mi-Yeong, Kim Sae-Hoon, Lim Min Kyung, Choi Min-Ho, Kim Ki Woong, Cho Sang-Heon, Min Kyung-Up, Chang Yoon-Seok
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea.
Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2015 Jun;114(6):455-61. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2015.03.008. Epub 2015 Apr 8.
Urbanization is frequently associated with allergic conditions during childhood; however, the literature lacks studies on the association between allergies and degree of urbanization in the elderly population.
To determine how the degree of urbanization affects the prevalence of allergic sensitization and self-reported rhinitis symptoms in elderly community populations.
The study population consisted of 1,311 elderly subjects identified from 2 community population cohort datasets who were divided into 3 groups according to the degree of urbanization (urban, semirural, and rural) where they resided. Current rhinitis symptoms were assessed using a questionnaire. Sensitization to inhalant allergen was measured using skin prick tests for 9 common allergens.
Sensitization to inhalant allergen showed a positive correlation with degree of urbanization (urban 17.2%, semirural 9.8%, rural 6.0%; P for trend <.001), with a significant correlation observed between house dust mite allergens and degree of urbanization. Self-reported rhinitis symptoms were mostly nonallergic, but showed a positive correlation with degree of urbanization (urban 26.8%, semirural 18.2%, rural 11.5%; P for trend <.001). Self-reported rhinoconjunctivitis also correlated with urbanization. Correlations between self-reported allergic conditions and urbanization remained statistically significant in multivariate logistic regression tests.
The present analyses found significant correlations between degree of urbanization with self-reported rhinitis symptoms and sensitization to inhalant allergen in the elderly population. These findings warrant further investigation of the roles that urban factors play in the development of elderly rhinitis and allergen sensitization.
城市化常与儿童期的过敏状况相关；然而，文献中缺乏关于老年人群过敏与城市化程度之间关联的研究。
确定城市化程度如何影响老年社区人群中过敏性致敏的患病率以及自我报告的鼻炎症状。
研究人群包括从2个社区人群队列数据集中识别出的1311名老年受试者，他们根据居住地区的城市化程度（城市、半农村和农村）分为3组。使用问卷评估当前的鼻炎症状。通过对9种常见过敏原进行皮肤点刺试验来测量对吸入性过敏原的致敏情况。
对吸入性过敏原的致敏与城市化程度呈正相关（城市为17.2%，半农村为9.8%，农村为6.0%；趋势P<0.001），屋尘螨过敏原与城市化程度之间存在显著相关性。自我报告的鼻炎症状大多为非过敏性，但与城市化程度呈正相关（城市为26.8%，半农村为18.2%，农村为11.5%；趋势P<0.001）。自我报告的鼻结膜炎也与城市化相关。在多因素逻辑回归测试中，自我报告的过敏状况与城市化之间的相关性仍具有统计学意义。
本分析发现城市化程度与老年人群自我报告的鼻炎症状以及对吸入性过敏原的致敏之间存在显著相关性。这些发现值得进一步研究城市因素在老年鼻炎和过敏原致敏发展中所起的作用。
