Outdoor pollen concentration is not associated with exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction in children

Background Free running exercise test outdoors is an important method to diagnose asthma in children. However, the extent of how much exposure to pollens of outdoor air affects the results of the test is not known. Methods We analyzed all reliable exercise challenge tests with impulse oscillometry i...

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Published in:Pediatric pulmonology Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 695 - 701
Main Authors: Tikkakoski, Anna P., Karjalainen, Jussi, Sipilä, Kalle, Kivistö, Juho E., Kähönen, Mika, Lehtimäki, Lauri, Tikkakoski, Antti
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.03.2022
Subjects:
Airway management
Allergens
Asthma
Asthma - diagnosis
Asthma - etiology
Bronchoconstriction
Child
exercise test
exercise‐induced asthma
Humans
Humidity
Hypersensitivity
Immunoglobulin E
Pollen
pulmonary function tests
pulmonary function tests
asthma
pollen
exercise test
exercise-induced asthma
ISSN:8755-6863, 1099-0496, 1099-0496
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Background Free running exercise test outdoors is an important method to diagnose asthma in children. However, the extent of how much exposure to pollens of outdoor air affects the results of the test is not known. Methods We analyzed all reliable exercise challenge tests with impulse oscillometry in children (n = 799) between January 2012 and December 2014 in Tampere University Hospital. Pollen concentrations at the time of the test were collected from the register of Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku. We compared the frequency of exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction and pollen concentrations. Results The analyses were restricted to birch and alder pollen as high counts of grass and mugwort pollen were so infrequent. The relative change in resistance at 5 Hz after exercise or the frequency of exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction were not related to alder or birch pollen concentrations over 10 grains/m3 (p = 0.125–0.398). In logistic regression analysis comparing the effects of alder or birch pollen concentrations, immunoglobulin E (IgE)‐mediated alder or birch allergy and absolute humidity over 10 g/m3 only absolute humidity was independently associated with change in airway resistance (odds ratio [OR]: 0.32, confidence interval [CI]: 0.13–0.67, p: 0.006). Conclusions In our large clinical sample, outdoor air pollen concentration was not associated with the probability of exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction in free running test in children while low absolute humidity was the best predictor of airway obstruction.
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ISSN:8755-6863
1099-0496
1099-0496
DOI:10.1002/ppul.25782