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 4
Relationship among asthma morbidity, mold sensitivity and airborne mold, endotoxin, or glucan concentrations.
Outcomea
Concentrationb
Sensitivityc
Allergen
Indoor mold
P
Outdoor mold
P
Endotoxin
P
β-Glucan
P
N
Above median
Positive
44
49
35
26
Negative
46
41
33
28
Below median
Positive
49
44
39
33
Negative
41
46
32
22
Maximum symptom days
Above median
Positive
5.39
6.20
7.14
6.38
Negative
5.12
<0.01
6.63
0.54
7.21
0.75
6.50
0.96
Below median
Positive
8.10
7.50
7.62
7.00
Negative
7.85
6.20
6.31
6.45
Daytime symptoms
Above median
Positive
4.02
5.22
6.11
5.92
Negative
4.07
<0.01
5.32
0.91
5.55
0.97
4.93
0.89
Below median
Positive
6.82
5.80
6.03
5.52
Negative
6.51
5.13
5.91
5.41
Night symptoms
Above median
Positive
3.05
3.51
3.63
4.15
Negative
2.15
0.06
2.98
0.33
2.82
0.50
2.75
0.43
Below median
Positive
4.47
4.11
4.38
3.42
Negative
3.44
2.57
3.38
2.36
Slow play
Above median
Positive
2.82
3.04
3.37
2.77
Negative
1.98
0.03
2.54
0.23
3.30
0.17
2.61
0.97
Below median
Positive
4.24
4.16
3.92
2.91
Negative
3.54
2.87
1.94
3.05
Caretaker changed plans
Above median
Positive
0.70
1.00
1.20
1.23
Negative
0.41
0.05
0.80
0.90
0.67
0.44
0.50
0.42
Below median
Positive
1.22
1.00
0.72
0.79
Negative
1.22
0.78
1.13
0.95
aUnits 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: indoor mold—514 spores/m3, outdoor mold—3840 spores/m3, endotoxin—12 EU/mg, β-Glucan—0.4 μg/g.
cFour or more skin test wheals that are at least 3 mm greater than the negative control out of 14 mold skin tests measured.
