摘要
在西德和东德的两个城市,汉堡和埃尔福特,20-44岁的成年人随机抽样,比较呼吸道症状、特应性敏化和支气管高反应性的流行情况。由于二氧化硫和悬浮微粒,埃尔福特的室外空气污染水平要高得多,在过去40年里,人们的生活条件也存在重大差异。在欧洲呼吸健康调查中,汉堡的3156人(回复率80%)和埃尔福特的3272人(74%)回答了一份简短问卷。一组接受短问卷的应答者完成了一份长问卷、肺活量测定、甲胆碱或支气管扩张药试验、皮肤试验和总及特异性免疫球蛋白E (IgE)测定,在汉堡共有1159名参与者,在埃尔福特有731名参与者。在关于呼吸系统症状和诊断的8个问题中,有6个在汉堡得到肯定答复的频率高于埃尔福特。在汉堡,埃尔福特预测的1秒平均用力呼气量(FEV1)%是105 vs 107% (p < 0.0001),而且在汉堡观察到的支气管高反应比埃尔福特更频繁(25 vs 19%;p < 0.05)。就草花粉皮肤试验结果而言,特应性致敏在汉堡比在埃尔福特更为普遍(24比19%;P < 0.05)、桦木花粉(19 vs 8%;P < 0.0005), cat (10 vs 2%; p < 0.0005), and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (14 vs 10%; p < 0.05). This was reflected by the prevalences of positive specific IgE values, which were higher in Hamburg than in Erfurt for grass (26 vs 20%; p < 0.05), birch (20 vs 10%; p < 0.0005) and cat (12 vs 8%; p < 0.05). In Hamburg, compared to Erfurt, there was: a lower mean number of siblings (p < 0.005); a higher degree of childhood and current exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (p < 0.005); and a higher frequency of fitted carpets and reported mould or mildew inside the house (p < 0.005). Therefore, these data may support the hypothesis that childhood factors and exposure to indoor allergens and irritants may have been more relevant for the development of asthma and atopy than the potential long-term exposure to high concentrations of sulphur dioxide and particulate matter.