Naslov
Allergic diseases in urban environment in Croatia

Autori
Stipić Marković, Asja ; Topalušić, Iva ; Artuković, Marinko

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Book of abstracts / - , 2022, 7-7

Skup
5th Meeting of Midle European Societies MESIA

Mjesto i datum
Prag ; Češka, 23.11.2022. - 26.11.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Nije recenziran

Ključne riječi
allergic diseases ; environment

Sažetak
Background. Rapid climate changes and low biodiversity threaten human health by contributing to the increasing number of allergic persons in countries with westernized lifestyle. We have to expand our understanding of the mechanisms by which these environmental changes induce harmful immune reaction in order to prevent events in which large number of people seek emergency treatment (e.g. in Melbourne in 2016, when 9 people died of thunderstorm asthma). Some epidemiological studies that have been monitoring the trends in prevalences of allergic diseases have reported that allergy epidemic in developed countries has reached its plateau, while a rise is expected in developing ones. Also, different impact of rural and urban milleu has been gaining considerable scientific interest because of its role in immune system education.Objective. Our aim was to compare prevalence of allergic diseases and associated causative factors among schoolchildren from the city of Zagreb (Croatia, a low-income European country) sixteen years after first resuts collected by same methodology and on the population of same age. This is a part of the bigger study which involved also children living in rural setting of Natural Park Lonjsko polje.Methods. Symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR) and atopic dermatitis (AD), along with prenatal, early-life, and current exposures were assessed using The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. An allergic profile was determined by the skin prick test. Results. Prevalence of current, ever-in-a-lifetime and diagnosed AR of 35.7%, 42.5% and 14.9%, and AD of 18.1%, 37.1% and 31.1% demonstrated a significant increase. Asthma prevalence of 5.7% remained unchanged. Maternal smoking in pregnancy, dampness and mould in homes, day-care facility and pertussis vaccination increased during the observed period. Allergen sensitivity rate remained similar, but pollens became dominant. Exposures to mould and dog allergens were risks for asthma (OR 14.505, OR 2.033, respectively). Exposure to cat allergens appeared as protective in AR (OR 0.277). Fast food onsumption was rare, not contributing to the AD increase. Parental history of allergy was a risk factor in all conditions. Conclusion. Over sixteen-year-period, prevalences of AR and AD in Zagreb considerably increased accompanied with the high proportion of children’s atopy, which was not affected by the passage of time. Prevalence of asthma remained the same. During this observed period, lifestyle factors like maternal smoking in pregnancy, dampness and mould in homes, day-care facilities and pertussis vaccination also increased, but were identified as risks only in relation with asthma together with dog exposure. Rapidly progressing AR was related only with cat exposure but in an protective way. Our explanation for high AR prevalence is based on data of contemporary observed higher proportion of children with pollen sensitisation in comparison to previous hystoric period. Reported higher PM10 concentration in city of Zagreb could not be eliminated as cofounding factor. This two causative factors are obviously in relationship with continuously registering climate changes. Further research is necessary to provide an explanation for the longstanding question about unique role of cat allergen in allergic individuals. Stabile asthma trend remains insufficiently understood. We speculate that it could be a result of decreased sensitisation to indoor allergens whose role is more important than the role of outdoor ones in this allergic disease. We did not provide explanation for high prevalence of 31.1% of physician-diagnosed AD in our urban children cohort. Strong genetic background in all three condition is evident, but influence of environmental factors on gene functioning could not be examined by this type of studies.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA