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Sensitivity to mice allergens predicts rhinitis in inner-city children
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HOUSTON — Sensitivity to mouse allergen was an independent predictor of rhinitis in a predominantly black and urban pediatric cohort, according to data presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting.
“Although mouse and cockroach allergy are known to be important in urban children with asthma, the independent association of mouse and cockroach sensitization with rhinitis in these children is unknown,” study researcher Ahmad R. Sedaghat, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, and colleagues wrote.
Ahmad R. Sedaghat
Researchers assessed rhinitis outcomes among 499 children with persistent asthma living in Boston and Baltimore. Study participants (aged 6 to 17 years) completed skin prick testing for 14 common environmental allergens, had mouse and cockroach specific IgE measurements taken and underwent spirometry.
Approximately 76% of the study population was black, and 52.4% had poorly controlled asthma.
Serum mouse IgE levels greater than 0.35 IU per mL were associated with patients having rhinitis in the past 2 weeks (adjusted OR = 2.15; 95% CI, 1.02-4.54) and the past year (aOR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.12-5.1).
Positive skin prick tests for mice were not associated with rhinitis, and cockroach sensitization was not associated with rhinitis regardless of sensitization to other allergens.
“Among children living in urban settings with poorly controlled asthma, rhinitis was significantly associated with mouse sensitivity,” Sedaghat told Infectious Diseases in Children. “This comes down to a public health issue. We can impact children’s rhinitis outcomes just like we can impact their asthma outcomes — through intervention aimed at control and reduction of exposure to these pests, mice in particular.” – by Amanda Oldt
Reference:
Sedaghat AR, et al. Abstract 67. Presented at: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting; Feb. 20-24, 2015; Houston.
Disclosure: Sedaghat is a consultant for Meda. The other researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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Gary Rachelefsky, MD
This abstract is not very exciting, but is significant to inform readers that individuals who live in apartments in big cities, especially those in low-income inner city housing, should have regular extermination to eliminate mouse/cockroach presence. Elimination of both would help control asthma and elimination of the mouse allergen would help eliminate associated rhinitis.
As has been recommended for controlling asthma in the inner-city population, extermination has been shown to be effective for asthma control and also can help in improving nasal disease.
Perspective
Back to TopSandy Durrani, MD
Mouse is one of several allergens to which inner-city children with asthma have been found to be sensitized.
In this study, mouse sensitization was found to be independently linked to rhinitis.
These results suggest that consideration should be given to the inclusion of mouse allergen on standard panels when attempting to characterize the sensitization pattern in inner-city children with asthma.
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Theresa W. Guilbert, MD, MS
Children living in inner-city areas often have higher rates of uncontrolled asthma compared to children that do not live in central urban areas. Urban children are often exposed and sensitized to many allergens in their home and school environments but it is not clear which of these allergens are associated with rhinitis symptoms.
In this study, urban asthmatic children who demonstrated sensitivity to mouse allergen by serology (defined by serum mouse IgE ≥ .35 IU/ml) but not skin testing is independently associated with rhinitis. In contrast, cockroach sensitivity by either method was not associated with rhinitis in these children. These results suggest that rodent sensitization may play an important role in rhinitis symptoms in inner city children with asthma. Our understanding of mouse sensitization is evolving in this population and deserves further study.
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