Dowse G K, Smith D, Turner K J, Alpers M P
Clin Allergy. 1985 Sep;15(5):429-38. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1985.tb02292.x.
This study found a prevalence of asthma of 2.5% in adults and 0.2% in children in Goroka, the major town and administrative centre of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. The disease features are similar to those found in previous studies in Papua New Guinea: late age of onset and virtual absence of childhood cases; strong association with allergy to house dust mite and high mite-specific IgE levels; and considerable impairment of resting lung function. However, the prevalence is much lower than that recently found in the nearby rural South Fore linguistic group of the Okapa District. Moreover, it was noted that a preponderance of the urban cases in the present study were originally from Okapa. The implication is that particular local aetiological factors may be responsible for the documented rise in prevalence in the South Fore (Okapa) people, rather than the process of 'Westernization' per se. This creates a valuable opportunity to learn more about the pathogenesis of asthma.
本研究发现，在巴布亚新几内亚东部高地省的主要城镇和行政中心戈罗卡，成年人哮喘患病率为2.5%，儿童为0.2%。该疾病特征与巴布亚新几内亚此前的研究结果相似：发病年龄较晚且几乎没有儿童病例；与屋尘螨过敏和高螨特异性IgE水平密切相关；静息肺功能有相当程度的损害。然而，该患病率远低于最近在附近奥卡帕区的农村南福尔语族中发现的患病率。此外，本研究还指出，当前研究中的城市病例大多原本来自奥卡帕。这意味着，特定的当地病因可能是南福尔（奥卡帕）人群中记录的患病率上升的原因，而非“西方化”本身的过程。这为深入了解哮喘的发病机制创造了宝贵契机。
