A Study of the Relationship Between Mite IgE in Serum of School Children and Smoking Habits in Mothers

A survey of respiratory symptoms and housing environment using ATS-DLD questionnaire (published by the Environment Agency of Japan) and measurement of Mite IgE value in serum according to the RAST method were carried out from June to July, 1984 among elementary school children (766) in Suginami Ward, Tokyo. The relationship between allergic status or housing environment (family smoking habits) of the children and the proportion of their Mite IgE positivity (grade 2 or higher) was studied. The following results were obtained.1. The proportion of positive Mite IgE was significantly higher for those with heavy-smoking mothers than for those with no smokers in the family, with smokers except for the mothers or with light-smoking mothers.2. Among the subjects with allergic history, the proportion of positive Mite IgE was high regardless of the smoking of the mother. Among those without allergic history, on the other hand, the proportion of positive Mite IgE was significantly higher for the subjects with smoking mothers than for those with non-smoking mothers.3. Among the inhabitants of wooden houses or aluminumsashed houses, which are comparatively well ventilated, no difference was observed in the proportion of positive Mite IgE regardless of the smoking of the mother. Among the inhabitants of reinforced concrete or steel-frame buildings, which are poorly ventilated, the proportion of positive Mite IgE was significantly higher for those with smoking mothers than for those with non-smoking mothers.4. Animals inside the house and the smoking of the mother: no remarkable difference was observed in the proportion of positive Mite IgE among the subjects without an animal inside the houses and non-smoking mothers, those without an animal inside the houses and smoking mothers, those with animals inside the houses and non-smoking mothers and those with animals inside the houses and smoking mothers.5. Comparison of the proportion of positive Mite IgE for the use of a carpet and the smoking of the mother: without a carpet+a non-smoking mothersmoking mothersmoking mothersmoking mother. The proportion of positive Mite IgE was significantly higher for the users of carpets, regardless of the smoking of the mother, than for those without a carpet and with non-smoking mothers.The above results indicate that the proportion of positive Mite IgE for children can be increased by smoking in the family (especially smoking by the mother). This is effective especially for those who live in poorly ventilated buildings with carpets.