PMID- 8980967
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19970318
LR  - 20190822
IS  - 0903-1936 (Print)
IS  - 0903-1936 (Linking)
VI  - 9
IP  - 12
DP  - 1996 Dec
TI  - Prevalence of respiratory symptoms, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy among 
      adults: west and east Germany.
PG  - 2541-52
AB  - The prevalence of respiratory symptoms, atopic sensitization and bronchial 
      hyperresponsiveness was compared in a random sample of adults, 20-44 yrs of age, 
      in two cities in West and East Germany, Hamburg and Erfurt, respectively. There 
      were much higher levels of outdoor air pollution due to sulphur dioxide and 
      suspended particulates in Erfurt, and major differences in living conditions 
      during the last 40 yrs. Within the European Respiratory Health Survey, a short 
      questionnaire was answered by 3,156 (80% response rate) subjects in Hamburg and 
      3,272 (74%) in Erfurt. A subset of responders to the short questionnaire 
      completed a long questionnaire, spirometry, methacholine or bronchodilator test, 
      skin test, and total and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) measurements, with a 
      total number of 1,159 participants in Hamburg and 731 in Erfurt. Six out of 8 
      questions on respiratory symptoms and diagnoses were answered in the affirmative 
      more frequently in Hamburg than in Erfurt. In Hamburg, mean forced expiratory 
      volume in one second (FEV1)% of predicted was 105 vs 107% in Erfurt (p < 0.0001), 
      and bronchial hyperresponsiveness was more frequently observed in Hamburg than in 
      Erfurt (25 vs 19%; p < 0.05). Atopic sensitization was more prevalent in Hamburg 
      than in Erfurt regarding the results of skin tests against grass pollen (24 vs 
      19%; p < 0.05), birch pollen (19 vs 8%; p < 0.0005), cat (10 vs 2%; p < 0.0005), 
      and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (14 vs 10%; p < 0.05). This was reflected by 
      the prevalences of positive specific IgE values, which were higher in Hamburg 
      than in Erfurt for grass (26 vs 20%; p < 0.05), birch (20 vs 10%; p < 0.0005) and 
      cat (12 vs 8%; p < 0.05). In Hamburg, compared to Erfurt, there was: a lower mean 
      number of siblings (p < 0.005); a higher degree of childhood and current exposure 
      to environmental tobacco smoke (p < 0.005); and a higher frequency of fitted 
      carpets and reported mould or mildew inside the house (p < 0.005). Therefore, 
      these data may support the hypothesis that childhood factors and exposure to 
      indoor allergens and irritants may have been more relevant for the development of 
      asthma and atopy than the potential long-term exposure to high concentrations of 
      sulphur dioxide and particulate matter.
FAU - Nowak, D
AU  - Nowak D
AD  - Zentrum fur Pneumologie und Thoraxchirurgie, Grosshansdorf, Germany.
FAU - Heinrich, J
AU  - Heinrich J
FAU - Jorres, R
AU  - Jorres R
FAU - Wassmer, G
AU  - Wassmer G
FAU - Berger, J
AU  - Berger J
FAU - Beck, E
AU  - Beck E
FAU - Boczor, S
AU  - Boczor S
FAU - Claussen, M
AU  - Claussen M
FAU - Wichmann, H E
AU  - Wichmann HE
FAU - Magnussen, H
AU  - Magnussen H
LA  - eng
PT  - Comparative Study
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - England
TA  - Eur Respir J
JT  - The European respiratory journal
JID - 8803460
RN  - 37341-29-0 (Immunoglobulin E)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Air Pollution, Indoor
MH  - Bronchial Hyperreactivity/*epidemiology
MH  - Bronchial Provocation Tests
MH  - Cross-Sectional Studies
MH  - Female
MH  - Germany/epidemiology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Immunoglobulin E/blood
MH  - Logistic Models
MH  - Male
MH  - Prevalence
MH  - Respiratory Function Tests
MH  - Respiratory Hypersensitivity/*epidemiology
MH  - Respiratory Tract Diseases/*epidemiology
MH  - Risk Factors
MH  - Skin Tests
MH  - Surveys and Questionnaires
EDAT- 1996/12/01 00:00
MHDA- 1996/12/01 00:01
CRDT- 1996/12/01 00:00
PHST- 1996/12/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1996/12/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1996/12/01 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1183/09031936.96.09122541 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Eur Respir J. 1996 Dec;9(12):2541-52. doi: 10.1183/09031936.96.09122541.