HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Article Archive Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (22) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Celedón, J. C. Articles by Cloutier, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Celedón, J. C. Articles by Cloutier, M.

Ethnicity and Skin Test Reactivity to Aeroallergens Among Asthmatic Children in Connecticut^*

^* From the Channing Laboratory (Drs. Celedón and Weiss, and Ms. Sredl), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA; Asthma Center (Ms. Pisarski), Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT; and Pulmonary Division (Ms. Wakefield and Dr. Cloutier), Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT.

Correspondence to: Juan C. Celedón, MD, DrPH, FCCP, Channing Laboratory, 181 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115; e-mail: juan.celedon{at}channing.harvard.edu

Objectives: To examine the relationship between ethnicity and sensitization to allergens among children with asthma living in urban and suburban areas of Connecticut.

Study design: Cross-sectional study.

Study population: A total of 791 children with mild-to-severe asthma who received their medical care in the city of Hartford.

Results: Puerto Rican ethnicity was associated with skin test reactivity (STR) to cockroach (odds ratio [OR], 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 6.4), STR to dust mite (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.4), STR to mixed grass pollen (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.7), and STR to mugwort/sage (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.1). African-American ethnicity was associated with STR to four outdoor allergens (ie, mixed tree pollen [OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.9], mixed grass pollen [OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6 to 4.8], mugwort/sage [OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.6 to 6.0], and ragweed [OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.8]). Among all children, STR to outdoor allergens was strongly associated with the extent of allergen sensitization. As an example, children sensitized to mixed grass pollen had 34.7 times higher odds of having at least four positive skin tests to other allergens than nonsensitized children (95% CI for OR, 15.6 to 77.0).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that Puerto Rican ethnicity is associated with an increased risk of sensitization to indoor and outdoor allergens among children with asthma, and that allergy skin testing should be performed more often as part of the management of asthma in African-American children and in Puerto Rican children in the United States.

Key Words: African American • allergen sensitization • childhood asthma • Puerto Rican

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. T. Cohen, G. J. Canino, H. R. Bird, S. Shen, B. A. Rosner, and J. C. Celedon Area of Residence, Birthplace, and Asthma in Puerto Rican Children Chest, May 1, 2007; 131(5): 1331 - 1338. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. J. Akinbami, J. C. Rhodes, and M. Lara Racial and Ethnic Differences in Asthma Diagnosis Among Children Who Wheeze Pediatrics, May 1, 2005; 115(5): 1254 - 1260. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. L.M. Joseph, E. L. Peterson, C. C. Johnson, D. R. Ownby, J. C. Celedon, S. T. Weiss, and M. M. Cloutier Racial Differences in Allergen Sensitivity Chest, September 1, 2004; 126(3): 1004 - 1005. [Full Text] [PDF]