BACKGROUND: In most studies that investigate the association of mold or water damage and respiratory disorders in infants, the analysis is not adjusted for exposure to house dust mite (HDM), which is also a known cause of respiratory illnesses. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between visually observable mold or water damage and HDM (Der f 1) levels and the prevalence of lower respiratory tract symptoms and allergen sensitization in infants of atopic parents as part of a prospective birth cohort study. METHODS: On-site home visits (at the infants' age of 8 months) were performed to evaluate observable mold or water damage and HDM exposure. At a clinic visit near the infant's first birthday, medical histories, including parent-reported wheezing episodes, and a skin prick test to food and 15 common aeroallergens were conducted in 640 infants. RESULTS: More than half of the homes were found to have mold or water damage, and 5% had major mold or water damage with visible mold at 0.2 m2 or more. Only 16% of homes had a HDM allergen (Der f 1) concentration of more than 2 microg/g. Major mold or water damage increased the risk of recurrent wheezing nearly 2 times in infants, 5 times in food or aeroallergen-sensitized infants, and 6 times in aeroallergen-sensitized infants. Neither visible mold or water damage nor HDM exposure was associated with sensitization to either mold or aeroallergens. CONCLUSIONS: Visible mold was shown to be a significant risk factor for recurrent wheezing in infants at high risk of developing atopic disorders, whereas HDM exposure did not significantly increase the risk.
BACKGROUND: In most studies that investigate the association of mold or water damage and respiratory disorders in infants, the analysis is not adjusted for exposure to house dust mite (HDM), which is also a known cause of respiratory illnesses. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between visually observable mold or water damage and HDM (Der f 1) levels and the prevalence of lower respiratory tract symptoms and allergen sensitization in infants of atopic parents as part of a prospective birth cohort study. METHODS: On-site home visits (at the infants' age of 8 months) were performed to evaluate observable mold or water damage and HDM exposure. At a clinic visit near the infant's first birthday, medical histories, including parent-reported wheezing episodes, and a skin prick test to food and 15 common aeroallergens were conducted in 640 infants. RESULTS: More than half of the homes were found to have mold or water damage, and 5% had major mold or water damage with visible mold at 0.2 m2 or more. Only 16% of homes had a HDM allergen (Der f 1) concentration of more than 2 microg/g. Major mold or water damage increased the risk of recurrent wheezing nearly 2 times in infants, 5 times in food or aeroallergen-sensitized infants, and 6 times in aeroallergen-sensitized infants. Neither visible mold or water damage nor HDM exposure was associated with sensitization to either mold or aeroallergens. CONCLUSIONS: Visible mold was shown to be a significant risk factor for recurrent wheezing in infants at high risk of developing atopic disorders, whereas HDM exposure did not significantly increase the risk.
Authors: U Wahn; S Lau; R Bergmann; M Kulig; J Forster; K Bergmann; C P Bauer; I Guggenmoos-Holzmann Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 1997-06 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: P Cabrera; G Julià-Serdà; F Rodríguez de Castro; J Caminero; D Barber; T Carrillo Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 1995-02 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: P Nafstad; L Oie; R Mehl; P I Gaarder; K C Lødrup-Carlsen; G Botten; P Magnus; J J Jaakkola Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 1998-02 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: S P Squillace; R B Sporik; G Rakes; N Couture; A Lawrence; S Merriam; J Zhang; A E Platts-Mills Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 1997-12 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: J Kuehr; T Frischer; R Meinert; R Barth; J Forster; S Schraub; R Urbanek; W Karmaus Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 1994-07 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Stephen J Vesper; Craig McKinstry; Richard A Haugland; Yulia Iossifova; Grace Lemasters; Linda Levin; Gurjit K Khurana Hershey; Manuel Villareal; David I Bernstein; James Lockey; Tiina Reponen Journal: J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol Date: 2006-10-11 Impact factor: 5.563
Authors: Teija Meklin; Tiina Reponen; Craig McKinstry; Seung-Hyun Cho; Sergey A Grinshpun; Aino Nevalainen; Asko Vepsäläinen; Richard A Haugland; Grace Lemasters; Stephen J Vesper Journal: Sci Total Environ Date: 2007-04-30 Impact factor: 7.963
Authors: Patrick H Ryan; David I Bernstein; James Lockey; Tiina Reponen; Linda Levin; Sergey Grinshpun; Manuel Villareal; Gurjit K Khurana Hershey; Jeff Burkle; Grace LeMasters Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2009-09-10 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: James D Johnston; Brianna M Magnusson; Dennis Eggett; Scott C Collingwood; Scott A Bernhardt Journal: J Occup Environ Hyg Date: 2015 Impact factor: 2.155
Authors: Tiina Reponen; Umesh Singh; Chris Schaffer; Stephen Vesper; Elisabet Johansson; Atin Adhikari; Sergey A Grinshpun; Reshmi Indugula; Patrick Ryan; Linda Levin; Grace Lemasters Journal: Sci Total Environ Date: 2010-10-15 Impact factor: 7.963
Authors: Kathy T Schroer; Jocelyn M Biagini Myers; Patrick H Ryan; Grace K LeMasters; David I Bernstein; Manuel Villareal; James E Lockey; Tiina Reponen; Sergey Grinshpun; Gurjit K Khurana Hershey Journal: J Pediatr Date: 2008-10-31 Impact factor: 4.406
Authors: Rachael A Mintz-Cole; Aaron M Gibson; Stacey A Bass; Alison L Budelsky; Tiina Reponen; Gurjit K Khurana Hershey Journal: J Immunol Date: 2012-09-07 Impact factor: 5.422
Authors: Jocelyn M Biagini Myers; Ning Wang; Grace K LeMasters; David I Bernstein; Tolly G Epstein; Mark A Lindsey; Mark B Ericksen; Ranajit Chakraborty; Patrick H Ryan; Manuel S Villareal; Jeff W Burkle; James E Lockey; Tiina Reponen; Gurjit K Khurana Hershey Journal: J Invest Dermatol Date: 2009-09-17 Impact factor: 8.551