| 1. |
- Burney, P., et al.
(författare)
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A case-control study of the relation between plasma selenium and asthma in European populations : a GAL2EN project
- 2008
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Ingår i: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 63:7, s. 865-871
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There is evidence that selenium levels are relatively low in Europe and may be falling. Low levels of selenium or low activity of some of the enzymes dependent on selenium have been associated with asthma. METHODS: The GA(2)LEN network has organized a multicentre case-control study in Europe to assess the relation of plasma selenium to asthma. The network compared 569 cases in 14 European centres with a diagnosis of asthma and reporting asthma symptoms in the last 12 months with 576 controls from the same centres with no diagnosis of asthma and no asthmatic symptoms in the last 12 months. RESULTS: All cases and controls were selected from the same population defined by age and place of residence. Mean plasma selenium concentrations among the controls ranged from 116.3 microg/l in Palermo to 67.7 microg/l in Vienna and 56.1 microg/l among the children in Oslo. Random effects meta-analysis of the results from the centres showed no overall association between asthma and plasma selenium [odds ratio (OR)/10 microg/l increase in plasma selenium: 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89-1.21] though there was a significantly protective effect in Lodz (OR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.29-0.78) and a marginally significant adverse effect in Amsterdam (OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 0.98-2.90) and Ghent (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.03-1.77). CONCLUSION: This study does not support a role for selenium in protection against asthma, but effect modification and confounding cannot be ruled out.
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| 2. |
- Shaheen, S., et al.
(författare)
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The relation between paracetamol use and asthma : a GA2LEN European case-control study
- 2008
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Ingår i: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 32:5, s. 1231-1236
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studies from the UK and USA suggest that frequent use of paracetamol (acetaminophen) may increase the risk of asthma, but data across Europe are lacking. As part of a multicentric case-control study organised by the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA(2)LEN), it was examined whether or not frequent paracetamol use is associated with adult asthma across Europe. The network compared 521 cases with a diagnosis of asthma and reporting of asthma symptoms within the last 12 months with 507 controls with no diagnosis of asthma and no asthmatic symptoms within the last 12 months across 12 European centres. All cases and controls were selected from the same population, defined by age (20-45 yrs) and place of residence. In a random effects meta-analysis, weekly use of paracetamol, compared with less frequent use, was strongly positively associated with asthma after controlling for confounders. There was no evidence for heterogeneity across centres. No association was seen between use of other analgesics and asthma. These data add to the increasing and consistent epidemiological evidence implicating frequent paracetamol use in asthma in diverse populations.
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| 3. |
- Svanes, C, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term reliability in reporting of childhood pets by adults interviewed twice, 9 years apart. Results from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey I and II
- 2008
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Ingår i: Indoor Air. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0905-6947 .- 1600-0668. ; 18:2, s. 84-92
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Investigation of long-term effects of childhood pet exposure is usually based on retrospective information provided by adults, while there is little knowledge about the reliability in adult reporting of childhood events. We analyzed 8287 adults interviewed about childhood pets twice, on average nine years apart, in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Agreement between the surveys in reporting of childhood cats, dogs and birds were investigated with kappa statistics, and potential effects of disease status on agreement were analyzed with kappa statistics and multiple logistic regressions. Cats, dogs and birds in childhood were reported by 44, 41 and 38%, respectively. Cohen's kappa for agreement in adult reporting of childhood pets was 0.714 (95% CI=0.698-0.729) for cat, 0.709 (0.691-0.722) for dog, and 0.606 (0.591-0.626) for bird. Thus, agreement was significantly higher for reporting of cat and dog than for bird. Adult wheeze, asthma or atopy did not influence agreement. Neither did adult cat sensitization influence agreement in adult reporting of childhood cat. Childhood factors such as moving house <5 years, or growing up as a single child, in a large family or in a rural area, were associated with poorer agreement, while adult factors were unrelated to agreement. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Long-term reliability in adult reporting of childhood pets was substantial, and not influenced by disease status. Thus, collection of information about childhood pets from adults appears to be reliable for the purpose of studying adult allergic disease. Future studies should consider that the reliability was higher for a more important childhood event and influenced by childhood rather than adult characteristics. Imperfect reliability contributed to underestimation of the effects of pets on adult allergy; i.e. with a kappa of 0.71, a true odds ratio (OR) of 0.80 would be attenuated to 0.86. Future studies should account for non-differential misclassification error.
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| 4. |
- Ellison-Loschmann, L., et al.
(författare)
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Socioeconomic status, asthma and chronic bronchitis in a large community-based study
- 2007
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Ingår i: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 29:5, s. 897-905
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The present study investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status, using measures of occupational class and education level, and the prevalence and incidence of asthma (with and without atopy) and chronic bronchitis using data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). Asthma and chronic bronchitis were studied prospectively within the ECRHS (n=9,023). Incidence analyses comprised subjects with no history of asthma or bronchitis at baseline. Asthma symptoms were also assessed as a continuous score. Bronchitis risk was associated with low educational level (prevalence odds ratio (POR) 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-2.8) and occupatsional class (1.8; 1.2-2.7). Incident bronchitis also increased with low educational level (risk ratio (RR) 2.8; 95%CI 1.5-5.4). Prevalent and incident asthma with no atopy were associated with low educational level. Subjects in the low occupational class (incident risk ratio (IRR) 1.4; 95%CI 1.2-1.7) and education group (IRR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.6) had higher mean asthma scores than those in higher socioeconomic groups. Lower educational level was associated with increased risk of prevalent and incident chronic bronchitis and asthma with no atopy. Lower socioeconomic groups tended to have a higher prevalence and incidence of asthma, particularly higher mean asthma scores. Adjustment for variables associated with asthma and bronchitis explained little of the observed health differences by socioeconomic status.
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| 5. |
- Harrop, J., et al.
(författare)
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Eczema, atopy and allergen exposure in adults : a population-based study
- 2007
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Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Allergy. - : Wiley. - 0954-7894 .- 1365-2222. ; 37:4, s. 526-535
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 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.
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| 6. |
- Radon, Katja, et al.
(författare)
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Occupation and adult onset of rhinitis in the general population
- 2008
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 65:1, s. 38-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Occupational exposures have been associated with an increased risk of new-onset rhinitis in apprentices. However, population-based prospective data are scarce and do not cover new onset of rhinitis later in life. The authors studied the association between occupational exposure and adult onset of rhinitis prospectively. Methods: The data of 4994 participants (age at follow-up 28-57 years) from 27 centres of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II who were symptom-free at baseline were analysed. As outcome at follow-up self-reported (a) nasal allergies ("allergic rhinitis'') and (b) runny, blocked nose for 12 months a year ("perennial rhinitis'') were used. Occupational exposures at any time during follow-up were defined by job title. Results: The cumulative incidence of allergic rhinitis, perennial rhinitis and both conditions was 12%, 11% and 3%, respectively. Compared to office workers, male medical professionals were at increased risk of new onset of allergic rhinitis (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.4 to 6.4). Odds ratios were reduced in metal workers not involved in metal making or treating (0.3; 95% CI 0.1 to 0.7). For perennial rhinitis ORs were significantly increased in cleaners (1.4; 95% CI 1.0 to 2.1). Conclusions: Cleaners and medical professionals may be at increased risk for adult-onset rhinitis.
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