Kolberg Laura, Forster Felix, Gerlich Jessica, Weinmayr Gudrun, Genuneit Jon, Windstetter Doris, Vogelberg Christian, von Mutius Erika, Nowak Dennis, Drexler Hans, Schäfer Torsten, Radon Katja
Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
ERJ Open Res. 2020 Feb 3;6(1). doi: 10.1183/23120541.00178-2019. eCollection 2020 Jan.
Nickel allergy is the most prevalent contact allergy. It belongs to a different hypersensitivity type to asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis. The aim of this analysis was to assess whether self-reported nickel allergy is associated with incident wheezing, asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis in young German adults, taking into account potential effect modification by sex.
In total, 2051 (70.6%) participants aged 19-24 years took part in the second phase of SOLAR (Study on Occupational Allergy Risks), a follow-up study of ISAAC II (the second phase of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) in Germany. Self-reported nickel allergy, as well as having pierced ears, and the three outcomes incident wheezing, asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis, were analysed stratified for sex. Logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders was performed.
An association between self-reported nickel allergy and incident wheezing was observed for men and women, while only in males did pierced ears show a significant association with the outcome (adjusted OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.10-4.62). Also only in males, self-reported nickel allergy was associated with elevated odds for incident asthma (adjusted OR 4.34, 95% CI 1.22-15.41). Neither in men nor in women was a significant association observed for incident rhinoconjunctivitis.
Our results suggest that self-reported nickel allergy is associated with incident wheezing. Whether this association is due to environmental or genetic predisposition, or due to an overlap of the mechanisms of type I and type IV hypersensitivity, needs to be elucidated.
镍过敏是最常见的接触性过敏。它与哮喘和鼻结膜炎属于不同类型的超敏反应。本分析的目的是评估自我报告的镍过敏是否与德国年轻成年人新发喘息、哮喘和鼻结膜炎相关，并考虑性别对潜在效应修正的影响。
共有2051名（70.6%）19 - 24岁的参与者参加了SOLAR（职业过敏风险研究）的第二阶段，这是德国对ISAAC II（儿童哮喘和过敏国际研究的第二阶段）的一项随访研究。对自我报告的镍过敏、是否有耳洞以及新发喘息、哮喘和鼻结膜炎这三个结局按性别进行分层分析。进行了针对潜在混杂因素调整的逻辑回归分析。
男性和女性中均观察到自我报告的镍过敏与新发喘息之间存在关联，而只有男性中，有耳洞与该结局显示出显著关联（调整后的比值比为2.26，95%置信区间为1.10 - 4.62）。同样只有在男性中，自我报告的镍过敏与新发哮喘的较高发病几率相关（调整后的比值比为4.34，95%置信区间为1.22 - 15.41）。在男性和女性中，均未观察到新发鼻结膜炎与镍过敏之间存在显著关联。
我们的结果表明，自我报告的镍过敏与新发喘息相关。这种关联是由于环境或遗传易感性，还是由于I型和IV型超敏反应机制的重叠，有待阐明。
