Asthma cases in childhood attributed to atopy in tropical area in Brazil Asma infantil atribuida a atopia en la zona tropical de Brasil

• Main Authors: Sergio Souza da Cunha, Mauricio Lima Barreto, Rosemeire Leovigildo Fiaccone, Philip J Cooper, Neuza Maria Alcantara-Neves, Silvia de Magalhães Simões, Álvaro Augusto Cruz, Laura Cunha Rodrigues
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2010
• Subjects: Asma; hipersensibilidad inmediata; niño; Brasil; Asthma; atopic hypersensitivity; child; Brazil; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/238edf2f5c194cf7a8800bb88a7f5dd9

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between asthma and atopy in a cohort of children living in a large urban center in Brazil. Atopy was defined by the presence of allergen-specific IgE in serum or by a positive skin prick test. METHODS: In a sample of 1 445 Brazilian children, the association between the prevalence of asthma, skin prick test positivity, and allergen-specific IgE in serum was investigated. RESULTS: The prevalence of asthma was 22.6%. The presence of serum allergen-specific IgE was frequent in asthmatics and nonasthmatics, and the prevalence of asthma increased only with levels of allergen-specific IgE > 3.5 kilounits/L. The proportion of asthma attributable to atopy was estimated to be 24.5% when atopy was defined by the presence of allergen-specific IgE. With a given level of specific IgE, no association between skin test reactivity and asthma was observed. Skin prick tests were less sensitive than specific IgE for detection of atopy. CONCLUSIONS: Most asthma cases in an urban underprivileged setting in Brazil were not attributable to atopy. This observation has important implications for understanding the risk factors for the asthma epidemic in Latin America OBJETIVO: Explorar la relación entre el asma y la atopia en una cohorte de niños que viven en un gran centro urbano de Brasil. En este estudio, se considera atopia la detección de IgE sérica específica de algún alérgeno o un resultado positivo a la prueba de punción cutánea. MÉTODOS: Se estudió la relación entre la prevalencia del asma, el resultado positivo a la prueba de punción cutánea y la detección de IgE sérica específica de algún alérgeno en una muestra de 1 445 niños brasileños. RESULTADOS: El asma registró una prevalencia de 22,6%. La presencia de IgE séricas específicas de alérgenos fue frecuente tanto en los asmáticos como en los no asmáticos, y la prevalencia del asma fue mayor solo cuando el valor detectado de la IgE específica del alérgeno era > 3,5 kilounidades/litro. Se calculó que la atopia ...