Male sex is strongly associated with IgE-sensitization to airborne but not food allergens: results up to age 24 years from the BAMSE birth cohort.

BACKGROUND: Up to half of the population in high-income countries has allergen-specific IgE antibodies. However, data regarding sex differences of IgE-sensitization from childhood to adulthood is limited. OBJECTIVE: To explore IgE-sensitization to common foods and airborne allergens in relation to sex over time in a population-based cohort followed up to young adulthood. METHODS: The Swedish population-based birth cohort BAMSE includes 4089 subjects who have been followed regularly with questionnaires and clinical investigations. A recent 24-year follow-up included 3069 participants (75%). Sera collected at 4, 8, 16 and 24 years were analyzed for IgE-antibodies to 14 common foods and airborne allergens. RESULTS: At 24 years sensitization to foods had decreased compared to previous follow-ups affecting 8.4%, while sensitization to airborne allergens was more common, affecting 42.2%. Male sex was associated with IgE-sensitization to airborne allergens at all ages (overall OR: 1.68, 95% CI 1.46-1.94) while there was no statistically significant association between sex and sensitization to food allergens (overall OR: 1.10, 95% CI 0.93-1.32). Levels of allergen-specific IgE did not differ significantly between males and females for any of the tested foods or airborne allergens at any age, following adjustment for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSION: IgE-sensitization to airborne allergens increases with age up to young adulthood, whereas sensitization to food allergens seems to level off. Male sex is strongly associated with IgE-sensitization to airborne allergens from early childhood up to young adulthood. In contrast, there is little evidence for associations between sex and IgE-sensitization to foods.

Personal exposure to black carbon in Stockholm, using different intra-urban transport modes.

The traffic microenvironment has been shown to be a major contributor to the total personal exposure of black carbon (BC), and is key to local actions aiming at reducing health risks associated with such exposure. The main aim of the study was to get a better understanding of the determinants of traffic-related personal exposure to BC in an urban environment. Personal exposure to ambient levels of BC was monitored while walking, cycling and traveling by bus or car along four streets and while cycling alternative routes simultaneously. Monitoring was performed during morning and afternoon peak hours and at midday, with a portable aethalometer recording one-minute mean values. In all, >4000 unique travel passages were performed. Stepwise Linear Regression was used to assess predictors to personal exposure levels of BC. The personal BC concentration ranged 0.03-37 µg/m3. The average concentrations were lowest while walking (1.7 µg/m3) and highest traveling by bus (2.7 µg/m3). However, only 22% of the variability could be explained by travel mode, urban background BC and wind speed. BC concentrations measured inside a car were on average 33% lower than measured simultaneously outside the car. Choosing an alternative bicycle route with less traffic resulted in up to 1.4 µg/m3 lower personal exposure concentrations. In conclusion, traveling by bus rendered the highest personal BC concentrations. But when taking travel time and inhalation rate into account, the travel-related exposure dose was predicted to be highest during walking and cycling. It is however probable that the benefits from physical activity outweigh health risks associated with this higher exposure dose. It is clear that road traffic makes an important contribution to personal exposure to BC regardless of mode of intra-urban transport. Our data suggest that commuting along routes with lower BC levels would substantially decrease commuter's exposure.

Stability in the prevalence of Swedish children who were overweight or obese in 2003 and 2011.

AIM: We aimed to explore the prevalence and determinants of overweight including obesity among children in Sweden in 2003 and 2011. METHODS: Two population-based cross-sectional surveys included 7728 and 12 882 12-year-old children in Sweden, and 1198 and 2699 eight-year-old children in Stockholm County, in 2003 and 2011. Weighted prevalence of overweight including obesity and multivariate-adjusted relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was calculated. RESULTS: In 2011, the overweight prevalence was lower for 12-year-old girls than boys (RR=0.84, CI=0.77-0.92), lower for girls and boys with a higher rather than a lower educated mother (for example, RRgirls =0.76, CI=0.65-0.88), but higher for girls and boys in smaller rather than main cities (RRgirls =1.52, CI=1.28-1.82). There was no difference in overweight prevalence between 2003 and 2011 among the 12-year-old children. However, eight-year-old girls had a lower overweight prevalence in 2011 than in 2003 (RR=0.76, CI=0.59-0.97). The strongest decrease in overweight was among eight-year-old girls with mothers with lower levels of education (RR=0.63, CI=0.47-0.86). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight including obesity was stable among Swedish children between 2003 and 2011. Gradients in the determinants of overweight persisted. There was some evidence of a less steep socio-economic gradient in overweight in eight-year-old girls over time.

Workgroup report: developing environmental health indicators for European children: World Health Organization Working Group.

A working group coordinated by the World Health Organization developed a set of indicators to protect children's health from environmental risks and to support current and future European policy needs. On the basis of identified policy needs, the group developed a core set of 29 indicators for implementation plus an extended set of eight additional indicators for future development, focusing on exposure, health effects, and action. As far as possible, the indicators were designed to use existing information and are flexible enough to be developed further to meet the needs of policy makers and changing health priorities. These indicators cover most of the priority topic areas specified in the Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) as adopted in the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Health and Environment in 2004, and will be used to monitor the implementation of CEHAPE. This effort can be viewed as an integral part of the Global Initiative on Children's Environmental Health Indicators, launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.

Multiple chemical sensitivity in male painters; a controlled provocation study.

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether male painters reporting multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) differ from their matched controls (male painters without such sensitivity) during controlled chamber challenges to singular and mixtures of odorous chemicals with respect to: (1) Subjective rating of symptoms (i.e., symptoms related to central nervous system (CNS) and symptoms related to irritation) and sensations of smell elicited by low-level chemical exposures. (2) Changes in serum prolactin and cortisol levels, changes in nasal cavity and eye redness as a result of the various exposures. Moreover, background assessments were made regarding mental well-being, sense of coherence (SOC) as well as state of anxiety and depression in both groups. The MCS and control group consisted of 14 and 15 male painters respectively. Regarding background assessments of mental well-being, anxiety, depression and SOC, statistically significant differences were obtained between painters with MCS and their controls. During the controlled chamber challenges, neither difference regarding sensations of smell nor development of CNS related symptoms were seen between MCS and control group. In contrast, subjective rating of symptoms related to irritation (i.e., eyes, nose, throat, skin, and breathing difficulties) was significant higher in subjects with MCS. No differences between the groups as a result of the different exposures were seen concerning nasal cavity, eye redness and serum cortisol levels. However, a trend (P = 0.056) between the groups was measured regarding a decline of serum prolactin levels in the MCS group. This is a relatively small study with a limited number of volunteers; and no definitive conclusions can be drawn concerning the above findings. But it is the first controlled challenge study that incorporates similarly exposed groups (painters) recruited from a community rather than from a clinical population.