Current mite, cat, and dog allergen exposure, pet ownership, and sensitization to inhalant allergens in adults

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology 2003-02, Vol.111 (2), p.402-407
• Main Authors: Custovic, Adnan, Simpson, Bridget M., Simpson, Angela, Hallam, Claire L., Marolia, Helen, Walsh, Dawn, Campbell, Jacqui, Woodcock, Ashley
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Inhalation; Adolescent; Adult; allergens; Allergens - administration & dosage; Allergens - analysis; Allergic diseases; Allergies; Animals; Animals, Domestic - immunology; Antigens, Dermatophagoides - analysis; Antigens, Plant; Arthropod Proteins; asthma; Biological and medical sciences; cat; Cats; Cysteine Endopeptidases; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus - immunology; dog; Dogs; Dust; dust mite; Environmental Exposure; exposure; Female; Glycoproteins - analysis; Glycoproteins - immunology; Grasses; Housing; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - etiology; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - immunology; Immunopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate analysis; Pregnancy; Ratios; Respiratory and ent allergic diseases; Sensitization; Skin Tests; Statistical methods; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1067/mai.2003.55

Background: Simultaneous exposure to more than one allergen might modify the effect of individual allergens. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of current exposures to mite, cat, and dog allergen and pet ownership on sensitization in adults. Methods: Questionnaires, skin tests, and home visits (Der p 1, Fel d 1, and Can f 1, ELISA; mattresses, living room floors) were performed in 2502 adults. Allergen exposure was treated as a continuous variable and divided into quartiles. To investigate the interaction between allergens, quartiles for 3 allergens were added, creating arbitrary combined exposure categories. Results: In the univariate analysis, mite sensitization was associated with Der p 1 in mattresses (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.19; P = .03) and with Can f 1 in living room floors (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.17; P =.05). In a multivariate regression analysis, Der p 1 in mattresses remained an independent associate of mite sensitization (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.23; P = .03) and pollen sensitization (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.36; P = .0001). The proportion of subjects sensitized to mite increased significantly with the increasing combined exposure categories (P < .0001). The highest prevalence of sensitization to cat and dog was in the medium combined exposure categories. Cat ownership was associated with a reduced prevalence of sensitization to cats (P = .002) and a reduced prevalence of sensitization to dog (P = .003) but had no effect on sensitization to mite and pollen. Conclusions: Sensitization to dust mites increased with the increasing combined exposure. Cat ownership was associated with a lower prevalence of sensitization to cat and dog but not to mite and grass pollen. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;111:402-7.)