Passive smoking and respiratory allergies in adolescents

A. Mlinaric, S. Popovic Grle*, S. Nadalin**, B. SKurla, H. Munivrana §, M. Milosevic §

Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Hospital Merkur, Zagreb (Croatia)

*University Hospital for Lung diseases Jordanovac, Zagreb (Croatia)

**Department for Biology and Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka (Croatia)

^§ School of medicine, University of Zagreb (Croatia)

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• Allergology

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate impact of active and passive smoking on total and specific serum IgE levels and on incidence of developing allergic diseases (i.e. asthma, rhinitis) in a group of Croatian adolescents.

Methods: Our study consisted of random sample of one hundred fifty-five (155) voluntary pupils (80 males and 75 females), with mean age of 16.72±1.25 years, from one high school in the city of Varaždin (north-west part of Croatia). Their smoking habits were examined by interview administered by a single trained survey worker while diagnosis of allergic disease (i.e. asthma and allergic rhinits) had to be previously confirmed by physician. Total and specific serum IgE levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method in Central Laboratory of Clinic for lung diseases Jordanovac, Zagreb (Croatia).

Results: Statistically significant higher prevalence of allergic diseases was found in the group of passive smokers as opposed to non-smokers (χ2=9.29, p=0.002) as well as in active smokers compared to nonsmokers (χ2=4.45, p=0.034). Also, total IgE (IU/ml) was significantly higher in passive smokers when compared to non-smokers (t=13.039, p < 0.01), and in passive smokers as opposed to active smokers as well (t=4.960, p < 0.01), while difference in its level between active smokers and non-smokers was not statistically significant. The level of specific IgE to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus between active smokers, passive smokers and non-smokers resulted to be not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Results of the study indicate that clinical manifestations of allergic diseases are more frequent in smokers (both active and passive) than in nonsmokers. Our investigation leads us to a presumption of a possibly more harmful effect of passive than active smoking in the adolescent high school population. Statistically highest IgE level in passive smokers as opposed to non-smokers or smokers could be attributed to longer duration of exposure to tobacco smoke in passive smokers and tobacco’s potential cumulative effect on allergic senzitisation, although investigations with more precised and detailed mesures including higher number of participants are warranted.

Corresponding Author: Aleksandra Mlinaric, MD; e-mail: aleksandramlinaric@yahoo.com