Dennis R Ownby

..To examine current trends of asthma prevalence, diagnosis, and utilization of care in rural areas, increase awareness about asthma disease burden, and provide general recommendations for improving care in this setting...

..Previous studies suggest that small antigen doses given frequently are more likely to induce IgE production than are large antigen doses given infrequently...

..12 to 0.12). We conclude that a single measurement of endotoxin from a home dust sample provides an imprecise estimate of dust endotoxin concentrations in other locations within the home and over a relatively short observation interval...

..24 (95% CI 1.01-1.52, p = 0.045). Higher levels of physical activity were related to more diagnosed asthma...

..Epidemiologic data on allergic rhinitis and asthma are frequently based on self-reported symptoms...

..Imported fire ant (IFA) stings are common in children in the southeastern United States, but little is known about antibody responses to stings...

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..Pregnancy alters the function of many body systems, including the immune system. However, little is known regarding the effect of pregnancy on maternal IgE levels or atopy...

..Childhood asthma is strongly associated with allergic sensitization. Studies have suggested that animal exposure during infancy reduces subsequent allergic sensitization...

..The percentage of pet-associated excess asthma morbidity was estimated as a proportion of all asthma-related health care costs for the United States...

..3% vs 15.8%; P = .34). CONCLUSIONS: Low serum IgE levels were relatively common in these pregnant women. In contrast to previous studies, a low IgE level was not associated with chronic rhinosinusitis...

..The use of low-allergen, nonpowdered NRL gloves substantially reduces airborne exposure to latex in most health care settings...

..This suggests that IFA may pose the greatest risk of anaphylaxis for adults residing in IFA-endemic regions...

..These studies suggest that, at physiologic concentrations, E(2) can prevent cholinergic-induced constriction of asthmatic tracheal rings by activating the nitric oxide-cGMP-protein kinase G pathway to increase BK(Ca) channel activity...

..The literature suggests that depression is an important comorbidity in asthma that can significantly influence disease management and quality of life (QOL)...

..Studies have shown that this relationship differs depending on maternal history of the disease. We employed the rigour of propensity score methods to assess this relationship using data from a birth cohort...

..To evaluate strategies for distinguishing those individuals with true occupational asthma caused by exposure to natural rubber latex from those individuals with allergic disease related to other allergens...

..Allergy skin testing is a cornerstone in the evaluation of the allergic patient. This seemingly simple test is subject to multiple variables that can affect the result...

..After birth, it seems that many factors, including the frequency and severity of infections and the timing and intensity of allergen and animal exposures, continue to influence immune development...

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..This review concentrates on the history of latex use in medicine and the dramatic emergence of immediate-type latex allergy...

..Breastfeeding provides the best possible nutrition for newborns, but its role in the development of allergies is complex...

..Furred pets might also influence IgE levels through their effects on endotoxin levels. However, how these factors interact to influence total IgE levels is not well known, especially in adults...

..6; 95% CI, 1.0-2.6; p = 0.048). We confirm previous observations that transient wheezing in young children is not associated with an atopic predisposition...

..The overall aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of latex IgE seropositivity (L-IgE) in ED patients...

..Dust mite allergen exposure is considered a major determinant of sensitization to these allergens during childhood and a risk factor for pediatric asthma...

..55; 95% CI, 0.31-0.97) per episode. CONCLUSION: This study provides direct support for the hygiene hypothesis because children with fevers before age 1 year were less likely to demonstrate allergic sensitivity at age 6 to 7 years...

..Indoor dust mite and cat allergens have been related to the risk of atopic conditions. If allergen levels are influenced by modifiable residential characteristics, potential interventions to prevent disease could be deployed...

..Several studies have suggested that exposure to house-dust mite (HDM) allergen in infancy increases the risk of developing asthma...

..The performance, advantages, and limitations of each diagnostic method are compared...

..The increase in pediatric allergy and asthma parallels the increase in use of antibiotics. Antibiotics disturb the flora of the gastrointestinal tract, possibly perturbing the developing immune system...

..Early childhood fevers appear to protect against later allergies and asthma. What is not known is the time in which fevers exert this effect and whether the degree of temperature increase is important...

..Previously, we described gene-environment interactions between the endotoxin receptor polymorphism C-260T of the CD14 gene and endotoxin exposure on total serum IgE level; however, the mechanism of this interaction is not known...

..We further examined the relationship between birth order and cord blood IgE in a racially diverse birth cohort...

..These results demonstrate the need for further exploration of the complex interrelationships between race, asthma phenotype, genetic susceptibilities, and socioenvironmental exposures, including lead...

..In addition, few studies have examined the relationship of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to indicators of asthma severity such as health-care utilization...

..To summarize the existing literature on the association of endotoxin with respiratory diseases and allergic sensitization and to review the potentially modifying effects of endotoxin receptor polymorphisms...

..Once causative factors at each level of disease prevention are understood, this knowledge can be translated into clinical practice and public health policy...

..Agreement was weak for perceived asthma control and severity. Teen-caregiver agreement on asthma depends on the type of information being sought...

..However, overall adherence is poor among patients with asthma. Objective To estimate the proportion of poor asthma-related outcomes attributable to ICS nonadherence...

..Therefore, a detailed family history of atopy, including childhood and adulthood experiences, is critical to identifying and classifying risk and disease phenotypes...

..Itemized expenses are presented to facilitate modifications to reduce costs. This information may benefit providers, researchers, or administrators targeting similar populations...

..Environmental stressors, such as crime exposure, which has been associated with asthma morbidity, might also predict ICS adherence...

..Traditionally, urban youth are believed to be difficult to engage in health-related programs, both in terms of connecting and convincing...

..Racial disparities in asthma prevalence are not fully explained. Previous studies have reported an association between low birth weight (LBW) and asthma. African-Americans are at a heightened risk for both conditions...