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Biomedical subjects

Marshall Plaut

Publications and source records attributed to Marshall Plaut.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Inner City Asthma Study: relationships among sensitivity, allergen exposure, and asthma morbidity.

BACKGROUND: Asthma-associated morbidity is rising, especially in inner city children. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the allergen sensitivities, allergen exposures, and associated morbidity for participants in the Inner City Asthma Study. We also determined geographic variations of indoor allergen levels. METHODS: Nine hundred thirty-seven inner city children 5 to 11 years old with moderate to severe asthma underwent allergen skin testing. Bedroom dust samples were evaluated for Der p 1, Der f 1, Bla g 1, Fel d 1, and Can f 1. RESULTS: Skin test sensitivities to cockroach (69%), dust mites (62%), and molds (50%) predominated, with marked study site-specific differences. Cockroach sensitivity was highest in the Bronx, New York, and Dallas (81.2%, 78.7%, and 78.5%, respectively), and dust mite sensitivity was highest in Dallas and Seattle (83.7% and 78.0%, respectively). A majority of homes in Chicago, New York, and the Bronx had cockroach allergen levels greater than 2 U/g, and a majority of those in Dallas and Seattle had dust mite allergen levels greater than 2 microg/g. Levels of both of these allergens were influenced by housing type. Cockroach allergen levels were highest in high-rise apartments, whereas dust mite allergen levels were highest in detached homes. Children who were both sensitive and exposed to cockroach allergen had significantly more asthma symptom days, more caretaker interrupted sleep, and more school days missed than children who were not sensitive or exposed. CONCLUSION: Geographic differences in allergen exposure and sensitivity exist among inner city children. Cockroach exposure and sensitivity predominate in the Northeast, whereas dust mite exposure and sensitivity are highest in the South and Northwest. Cockroach allergen appears to have a greater effect on asthma morbidity than dust mite or pet allergen in these children.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2004

Results of a home-based environmental intervention among urban children with asthma.

BACKGROUND: Children with asthma who live in the inner city are exposed to multiple indoor allergens and environmental tobacco smoke in their homes. Reductions in these triggers of asthma have been difficult to achieve and have seldom been associated with decreased morbidity from asthma. The objective of this study was to determine whether an environmental intervention tailored to each child's allergic sensitization and environmental risk factors could improve asthma-related outcomes. METHODS: We enrolled 937 children with atopic asthma (age, 5 to 11 years) in seven major U.S. cities in a randomized, controlled trial of an environmental intervention that lasted one year (intervention year) and included education and remediation for exposure to both allergens and environmental tobacco smoke. Home environmental exposures were assessed every six months, and asthma-related complications were assessed every two months during the intervention and for one year after the intervention. RESULTS: For every 2-week period, the intervention group had fewer days with symptoms than did the control group both during the intervention year (3.39 vs. 4.20 days, P<0.001) and the year afterward (2.62 vs. 3.21 days, P<0.001), as well as greater declines in the levels of allergens at home, such as Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f1) allergen in the bed (P<0.001) and on the bedroom floor (P=0.004), D. pteronyssinus in the bed (P=0.007), and cockroach allergen on the bedroom floor (P<0.001). Reductions in the levels of cockroach allergen and dust-mite allergen (Der f1) on the bedroom floor were significantly correlated with reduced complications of asthma (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among inner-city children with atopic asthma, an individualized, home-based, comprehensive environmental intervention decreases exposure to indoor allergens, including cockroach and dust-mite allergens, resulting in reduced asthma-associated morbidity.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗