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Children's Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Changes in Allergic Response
EPA Grant Number: R826708C002Subproject: this is subproject number 002 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R826708
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: CECEHDPR - University of Southern California
Center Director: Gong, Henry
Title: Children's Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Changes in Allergic Response
Investigators: Gong, Henry , Diaz-Sanchez, David
Institution: University of California - Los Angeles
EPA Project Officer: Fields, Nigel
Project Period: January 1, 1998 through January 1, 2002
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (1998)
Research Category: Children's Health , Health Effects
Description:
Objective:Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood. Asthma is now associated with increasing frequency, hospitalization, and mortality, especially in nonwhite, poor, inner-city children. Research is needed to develop and evaluate comprehensive community-based programs designed to reduce asthma triggers in the home environment, such as house dust mites and cockroaches. In this study, inner-city, primarily minority, children with asthma are being identified through a school-based mobile asthma clinic, the Breathmobile, which delivers high quality asthma care to these children. Working with school nurses and community organizations and 3 Breathmobile units, we propose a community-based intervention aimed at reducing asthma triggers in the home. The major goal of this study is to determine whether a comprehensive environmental health education program, enhanced by least-toxic integrated pest management for cockroach control, will result in reduction of dust mites or cockroaches in children's homes and clinical improvement in asthma.
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) is a common illness involving the nose, throat, and eyes. Persons with this allergic condition of their upper airway often have allergic reactions in their lungs (asthma) as well. These reactions are caused by the presence of a particular antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) which reacts to foreign allergy material (e.g., pollen). The severity of allergic symptoms normally correlates with the levels of these antibodies. Several studies have compared antibody levels in children of smoking parents to those of non-smokers. Some have concluded that exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (i.e., passive smoking) can increase the likelihood of producing IgE, while others have not been able to show such a link. These types of studies are complicated by other factors such as differences in lifestyle between the two groups being compared and the difficulties of accurately measuring smoke exposure.
The purpose of this new study is to investigate the ability of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) to alter the amount and types of IgE and other mediators (cytokines). We will do this by taking a new direct approach. We will measure levels of these agents in the nasal secretions of adults and children before and after controlled experimental exposure to tobacco smoke in an environmentally controlled chamber. (All children will be from homes where parents smoke.) Some subjects will also be exposed to a common environmental allergen (ragweed pollen) with and without associated exposure to low levels of tobacco smoke (equivalent to one day's exposure for a child living with a smoking parent).
We will, therefore, determine if exposure to tobacco smoke plus pollen produces greater amounts of IgE and mediators in the nose than exposure to pollen alone. These experiments will also demonstrate whether children are more susceptible to tobacco smoke than adults. Similar studies will be performed in rats to address genetic and age-related questions that cannot be easily studied in humans. Overall, these studies will be important in determining the potential role of secondhand smoke in causing or exacerbating allergic disease.
Publications and Presentations:Publications have been submitted on this subproject: View all 3 publications for this subproject | View all 80 publications for this center
Journal Articles:Journal Articles have been submitted on this subproject: View all 3 journal articles for this subproject | View all 50 journal articles for this center
Supplemental Keywords:children, health, air, exposure, susceptibility, tobacco smoke, allergen. , Air, Scientific Discipline, Health, RFA, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Biology, indoor air, Risk Assessments, genetic susceptability, Health Risk Assessment, Children's Health, Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Chemistry, Allergens/Asthma, exposure assessment, environmentally caused disease, environmental hazard exposures, allergen, health effects, indoor air quality, respiratory problems, allergic rhinitis, indoor environment, second hand smoke, tobacco, cytokines, cigarette smoke, assessment of exposure, childhood respiratory disease, copollutant, susceptibility, toxics, infants, sensitive populations, biological response, airway disease, children, tobacco smoke, pollen, exposure, children's vulnerablity, allergic response, asthma, human exposure, Human Health Risk Assessment
Progress and Final Reports:
2000 Progress Report
2001 Progress Report
2002 Progress Report
Final Report
Main Center Abstract and Reports:
R826708 CECEHDPR - University of Southern California
Subprojects under this Center:
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R826708C001 Asthma in Children: A Community-based Intervention Project
R826708C002 Children's Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Changes in Allergic Response
R826708C003 Respiratory Disease and Prevention Center