Song Kun-Baek, Kim Jeong-Hoon, Choi Eom Ji, Lee Seung Won, Kim Jin Tack, Lim Dae Hyun, Kim Woo Kyung, Song Dae Jin, Yoo Young, Suh Dong In, Baek Hey-Sung, Shin Meeyong, Kwon Ji-Won, Jang Gwang Cheon, Yang Hyeon-Jong, Lee Eun, Kim Hwan Soo, Seo Ju-Hee, Woo Sung-Il, Kim Hyung Young, Shin Youn Ho, Lee Ju Suk, Yu Jinho
Department of Pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea.
Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2025 May;17(3):394-404. doi: 10.4168/aair.2025.17.3.394.
Exposure to pets can trigger symptoms in asthmatic children sensitized to pets. However, little is known about the association between pet ownership and asthma morbidity in children who are not sensitized to pets. We aimed to investigate the effect of pets on lung function, airway inflammation, and morbidity in children with asthma, and to determine whether the effect of exposure to pets vary based on pet sensitization status. A total of 975 asthmatic children, aged 5-15 years, were enrolled in the Korean Childhood Asthma Study. Pet ownership and asthma morbidity were evaluated by questionnaires or pediatrician evaluations. Pulmonary function, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and atopic status were assessed. FeNO levels were significantly higher in children with pets than in those without pets. Pet ownership significantly increased FeNO levels in atopic asthmatic children, irrespective of pet sensitization status. In children sensitized to pets, the geometric mean was 46.6 (range of 1 standard deviation, 26.9-81.5) for those with pets vs. 27.2 (13.8-53.6) for those without pets ( < 0.001). In children without sensitization to pets, the geometric mean was 37.3 (15.0-53.6) for pet owners vs. 25.2 (12.9-49.2) for non-owners ( = 0.014). The multiple regression analysis also revealed that pet ownership was significantly associated with increased FeNO levels and asthma severity in atopic asthmatic children. Pet ownership increased the FeNO levels and asthma severity, regardless of pet sensitization status, in children with atopic asthma. Exposure to pets could increase airway inflammation and disease severity even in atopic asthmatic children who are not sensitized to pets.
接触宠物会引发对宠物敏感的哮喘儿童出现症状。然而，对于未对宠物敏感的儿童，宠物饲养与哮喘发病率之间的关联却知之甚少。我们旨在研究宠物对哮喘儿童肺功能、气道炎症和发病率的影响，并确定接触宠物的影响是否因宠物敏感状态而异。共有975名5至15岁的哮喘儿童参与了韩国儿童哮喘研究。通过问卷调查或儿科医生评估来评估宠物饲养情况和哮喘发病率。评估了肺功能、呼出一氧化氮分数（FeNO）和特应性状态。有宠物的儿童的FeNO水平显著高于没有宠物的儿童。无论宠物敏感状态如何，饲养宠物均显著增加了特应性哮喘儿童的FeNO水平。在对宠物敏感的儿童中，有宠物的儿童的几何平均值为46.6（1个标准差范围为26.9 - 81.5），而没有宠物的儿童为27.2（13.8 - 53.6）（<0.001）。在未对宠物敏感的儿童中，养宠物的儿童的几何平均值为37.3（15.0 - 53.6），而不养宠物的儿童为25.2（12.9 - 49.2）（P = 0.014）。多元回归分析还显示，饲养宠物与特应性哮喘儿童FeNO水平升高和哮喘严重程度显著相关。在特应性哮喘儿童中，无论宠物敏感状态如何，饲养宠物都会增加FeNO水平和哮喘严重程度。即使在未对宠物敏感的特应性哮喘儿童中，接触宠物也可能增加气道炎症和疾病严重程度。
