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Microbial characteristics in homes of asthmatic and non-asthmatic adults in the ECRHS cohort

Valkonen, Maria and Täubel, M. and Pekkanen, J. and Tischer, C. and Rintala, H. and Zock, J.-P. and Casas, L. and Probst-Hensch, Nicole and Forsberg, B. and Holm, M. and Janson, C. and Pin, I. and Gislason, T. and Jarvis, D. and Heinrich, J. and Hyvärinen, A.. (2018) Microbial characteristics in homes of asthmatic and non-asthmatic adults in the ECRHS cohort. Indoor Air, 28 (1). pp. 16-27.

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Abstract

Microbial exposures in homes of asthmatic adults have been rarely investigated; specificities and implications for respiratory health are not well understood. The objectives of this study were to investigate associations of microbial levels with asthma status, asthma symptoms, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and atopy. Mattress dust samples of 199 asthmatics and 198 control subjects from 7 European countries participating in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II study were analyzed for fungal and bacterial cell wall components and individual taxa. We observed trends for protective associations of higher levels of mostly bacterial markers. Increased levels of muramic acid, a cell wall component predominant in Gram-positive bacteria, tended to be inversely associated with asthma (OR's for different quartiles: II 0.71 [0.39-1.30], III 0.44 [0.23-0.82], and IV 0.60 [0.31-1.18] P for trend .07) and with asthma score (P for trend .06) and with atopy (P for trend .02). These associations were more pronounced in northern Europe. This study among adults across Europe supports a potential protective effect of Gram-positive bacteria in mattress dust and points out that this may be more pronounced in areas where microbial exposure levels are generally lower.
Faculties and Departments:09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) > Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) > Chronic Disease Epidemiology > Exposome Science (Probst-Hensch)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Public Health > Sozial- und Präventivmedizin > Exposome Science (Probst-Hensch)
09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)
UniBasel Contributors:Probst Hensch, Nicole
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Wiley
ISSN:0905-6947
e-ISSN:1600-0668
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Language:English
Identification Number:
edoc DOI:
Last Modified:14 Sep 2018 11:52
Deposited On:30 Jan 2018 17:18

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