Eczema, atopy and allergen exposure in adults: a population-based study

Authors: Harrop, J.¹; Chinn, S.²; Verlato, G.³; Olivieri, M.⁴; Norbäck, D.⁵; Wjst, M.⁶; Janson, C.⁷; Zock, J.-P.⁸; Leynaert, B.⁹; Gislason, D.¹⁰; Ponzio, M.¹¹; Villani, S.¹¹; Carosso, A.¹²; Svanes, C.¹³; Heinrich, J.⁶; Jarvis, D.²

Source: Clinical & Experimental Allergy, Volume 37, Number 4, April 2007 , pp. 526-535(10)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

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Abstract:

Summary Background

There are few published studies on geographical variation in prevalence of eczema in adults or its association with recognised risk factors for allergic disease. Objective

To describe the geographical variation in prevalence of eczema in adults, assess the associations with sociodemographic risk factors, serum-specific IgE and IgG, and exposure to allergen. Methods

A community-based sample of 8206 adults aged 27-56 years, in 25 European centres and Portland, USA, provided questionnaire information on symptoms of eczema. Serum-specific IgE to house dust mite (HDM), cat, grass and Cladosporium, and IgG and IgG4 to HDM and cat were measured. Mattress levels of mite and cat allergen were assessed. Results

Overall prevalence of eczema was 7.1% (range between countries of 2.2-17.6%). Eczema was associated with female gender [odds ratio (OR) 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.01-1.55)], family history of atopic disease (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.18-1.74), IgE sensitization to at least one allergen (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.19-1.90), particularly Cladosporium (OR 3.65; 95% CI 1.81-7.37), and total IgE. Eczema was negatively associated with age and no clear associations were observed with sibship size, mattress mite and cat allergen levels or with cat and HDM-specific IgG or IgG4. Conclusions

There is geographical variation in the prevalence of eczema in adults both within and between countries. Although the disease is associated with IgE sensitization, in this study it was not related to mattress mite or cat allergen levels.

Keywords: atopic dermatitis; ECRHS; eczema; epidemiology

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2007.02679.x

Affiliations: 1: School of Medicine, King's College London, London UK, 2: Respiratory Epidemiology and Public Health Group, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK, 3: Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy, 4: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy, 5: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 6: Institute of Epidemiology, GSF - National Research Centre for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany, 7: Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 8: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain, 9: INSERM U700 - Epidémiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Xavier Bichat, Paris, 10: Department of Allergy, Respiratory Medicine and Sleep, University Hospital (E7), Reykjavik, Iceland, 11: Department of Health Sciences, Section of Medical Statistic and Epidemiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, 12: Unit of Allergology, ASL 4 Turin, Italy, 13: Department of Medicine, Department of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland Hospital, Bergen, Norway

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