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  • Title: Bacterial and fungal agents in house dust and wheeze in children: the PARSIFAL study.
    Author: Schram-Bijkerk D, Doekes G, Douwes J, Boeve M, Riedler J, Ublagger E, von Mutius E, Benz MR, Pershagen G, van Hage M, Scheynius A, Braun-Fahrländer C, Waser M, Brunekreef B, PARSIFAL Study Group.
    Journal: Clin Exp Allergy; 2005 Oct; 35(10):1272-8. PubMed ID: 16238785.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Growing up on a farm and an anthroposophic lifestyle are associated with a lower prevalence of allergic diseases in childhood. This might be related to increased inhalatory exposure to microbial agents. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between microbial agents in house dust and atopic wheeze in farm children, Steiner school children and reference children. METHODS: Levels of bacterial endotoxin, fungal beta(1,3)-glucans and fungal extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) in mattress and living room floor dust were measured in a population of 270 atopic (=Phadiatop-positive) children with self-reported wheezing, including 168 current atopic wheezers, and 441 non-atopic, non-symptomatic controls. These children were selected from a cross-sectional study in five European countries. RESULTS: In the study population as a whole, average levels of mattress dust endotoxin, EPS and glucans were slightly (1.1-1.2-fold; P<0.10) higher in control children than in atopic wheezers. Atopic wheeze was related to mattress levels of endotoxin, EPS and glucans in farm and farm-reference children. However, when adjusting for group (farm vs. farm-reference children), the associations became non-significant whereas the group effect remained. No associations between atopic wheeze and microbial agents were observed in Steiner and Steiner-reference children. For current atopic wheeze, the farm effect became non-significant after adjustment for microbial agent levels. CONCLUSION: Not only bacterial endotoxin but also mould components might offer some protection against atopic wheeze in children. However, the protective effect of being raised on a farm was largely unexplained by the mattress microbial agent levels measured in this study.
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