Few Associations Found between Mold and Other Allergen Concentrations in the Home versus Skin Sensitivity from Children with Asthma after Hurricane Katrina in the Head-Off Environmental Asthma in Louisiana Study
Table 3
Relationship among asthma morbidity, dust allergen sensitivity, and dust allergen concentration.
Outcomea
Concentrationb
Sensitivityc
Allergen
Cockroach
P
Dust mite
P
Mouse
P
Alternaria
P
N
Above median
Positive
17
37
29
51
Negative
19
25
51
37
Below median
Positive
75
83
25
45
Negative
68
34
74
46
Maximum symptom days
Above median
Positive
8.24
7.38
7.14
7.82
0.16
Negative
6.42
0.37
6.80
0.44
6.33
0.56
6.78
Below median
Positive
6.89
6.72
5.60
5.71
Negative
6.03
5.53
7.01
6.13
Daytime symptoms
Above median
Positive
5.82
5.89
5.34
6.35
Negative
5.42
0.98
5.40
0.57
5.22
0.96
5.22
0.34
Below median
Positive
5.37
5.55
5.16
4.80
Negative
5.29
4.44
5.61
5.04
Night symptoms
Above median
Positive
2.94
3.62
4.86
4.25
Negative
2.79
0.33
2.48
0.51
3.06
0.19
2.30
0.18
Below median
Positive
3.99
3.64
3.00
3.11
Negative
2.78
2.74
2.96
3.24
Slow play
Above median
Positive
6.18
3.81
4.34
3.84
Negative
2.89
0.01
2.88
0.39
2.63
0.16
2.92
0.54
Below median
Positive
3.13
3.34
2.28
2.98
Negative
2.54
2.29
3.39
2.83
Caretaker changed plans
Above median
Positive
1.53
0.81
1.34
1.12
Negative
0.95
0.33
0.80
0.97
0.98
0.21
0.43
0.27
Below median
Positive
0.71
0.95
0.40
1.00
Negative
0.93
0.91
0.82
0.91
aOutcome units are “number of days in the past 2 weeks.” P values test for an interaction between allergen sensitivity and concentration for the given outcome.
bMedian concentrations: cockroach—0.2 U/g (lower limit of detection), dust mite—0.1 μg/g (LLOD), mouse—0.03 μg/g (LLOD), Alternaria—13.7 μg/g (LLOD).
cSkin test wheal was at least 3 mm greater than the negative control; allergen sensitivity corresponds to dust allergen exposure (e.g., cockroach allergen sensitivity and concentration).
