Noertjojo K, Dimich-Ward H, Obata H, Manfreda J, Chan-Yeung M
Occupational and Environmental Research Unit, Respiratory Division, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999 Jan;103(1 Pt 1):60-5. doi: 10.1016/s0091-6749(99)70526-9.
Several pets, such as cats, dogs, and rodents, are known to produce allergens. Despite the clinical and laboratory evidence that exposure to pets can cause bronchoconstriction in sensitized subjects, the results of population studies have been contradictory.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cat ownership and the prevalence of asthma, asthma-like symptoms, and bronchitic symptoms among subjects 20 to 44 years of age in Vancouver, Canada and to determine whether sensitization is responsible for such an association.
Two thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (88%) randomly selected subjects responded to a mail questionnaire. Of these, 504 participated in laboratory examination, including allergy skin testing.
One thousand nineteen study responders (34%) were pet owners at the time of the study (current owners). Current pet owners were found to have a higher prevalence of current asthma, asthma-like symptoms, and bronchitic symptoms compared with those without pets. Cat owners had significantly higher risk of having current asthma and asthma-like symptoms. In the subset who had allergic skin tests, we found that those who were allergic to cat dander had a significantly higher risk of current asthma than those not allergic to cat dander and not owning a cat.
This study provides evidence that sensitization to cat dander is a more important risk factor for current asthma and asthma-like symptoms than cat ownership itself.
已知几种宠物，如猫、狗和啮齿动物会产生过敏原。尽管有临床和实验室证据表明，接触宠物会使敏感个体出现支气管收缩，但人群研究的结果却相互矛盾。
本研究旨在调查加拿大温哥华20至44岁人群中养猫与哮喘、哮喘样症状和支气管炎症状患病率之间的关系，并确定致敏是否是造成这种关联的原因。
2999名（88%）随机抽取的受试者回复了一份邮寄问卷。其中，504人参与了实验室检查，包括过敏皮肤测试。
1019名研究回复者（34%）在研究时是宠物主人（现主人）。与没有宠物的人相比，现宠物主人的当前哮喘、哮喘样症状和支气管炎症状的患病率更高。养猫者患当前哮喘和哮喘样症状的风险显著更高。在进行过敏皮肤测试的子集中，我们发现对猫皮屑过敏的人患当前哮喘的风险明显高于对猫皮屑不过敏且不养猫的人。
本研究提供的证据表明，对猫皮屑致敏是导致当前哮喘和哮喘样症状的一个比养猫本身更重要的危险因素。
