Dog ownership enhances symptomatic responses to air pollution in children with asthma.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	McConnell, Rob Berhane, Kiros Molitor, Jassy Gilliland, Frank Künzli, Nino Thorne, Peter S. Thomas, Duncan Gauderman, W. James Avol, Edward Lurmann, Fred Rappaport, Edward Jerrett, Michael Peters, John M.
Copyright Year	2006
Abstract	BackgroundExperimental data suggest that asthma exacerbation by ambient air pollutants is enhanced by exposure to endotoxin and allergens; however, there is little supporting epidemiologic evidence.MethodsWe evaluated whether the association of exposure to air pollution with annual prevalence of chronic cough, phlegm production, or bronchitis was modified by dog and cat ownership (indicators of allergen and endotoxin exposure). The study population consisted of 475 Southern California children with asthma from a longitudinal cohort of participants in the Children’s Health Study. We estimated average annual ambient exposure to nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter < 10, 2.5, and 10–2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10, PM2.5, and PM10–2.5, respectively), elemental and organic carbon, and acid vapor from monitoring stations in each of the 12 study communities. Multivariate models were used to examine the effect of yearly variation of each pollutant. Effects were scaled to the variability that is common for each pollutant in representative communities in Southern California.ResultsAmong children owning a dog, there were strong associations between bronchitic symptoms and all pollutants examined. Odds ratios ranged from 1.30 per 4.2 μg/m3 for PM10–2.5 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.91–1.87) to 1.91 per 1.2 μg/m3 for organic carbon (95% CI, 1.34–2.71). Effects were somewhat larger among children who owned both a cat and dog. There were no effects or small effects with wide CIs among children without a dog and among children who owned only a cat.ConclusionOur results suggest that dog ownership, a source of residential exposure to endotoxin, may worsen the relationship between air pollution and respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children.
ISSN	00916765
Journal	Environmental Health Perspectives
Volume Number	114
PubMed Central reference number	PMC1764158
Issue Number	12
PubMed reference number	17185284
e-ISSN	15529924
DOI	10.1289/ehp.8548
Language	English
Publisher	National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Publisher Date	2006-12-01
Access Restriction	Open
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Subject Keyword	air pollution asthma cats child dogs endotoxin epidemiology indoor allergens particulate matter
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health