192997 Asthma exacerbations and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene in U.S. children age 6-11 years, NHANES 1999-2004

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: 11:05 AM

Carolyn M. Gallagher, MPA, MPH , Graduate Program in Public Health, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY
Introduction: Wheezing in children has been associated with ambient exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chemical byproducts of incomplete combustion that are ubiquitous in the environment; and elevated urinary PAH metabolite levels have been reported in children experiencing asthma exacerbations; however, studies have not quantified the risk for asthma exacerbations associated with biomarkers of PAH exposure in children. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), a urinary metabolite of the parent PAH compound pyrene, and wheezing-related exacerbations in school-age asthmatic children.

Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey (NHANES), 1999-2004. Asthma exacerbation was defined as having sought medical attention for wheezing, or school absences due to wheezing, during the past year. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to measure the statistical association between 1-OHP and emergency department (ED) or physician (MD) office visits for wheezing; and between1-OHP and school absences due to wheezing; among children ever diagnosed with asthma (n=125), adjusted for urinary creatinine, gender, minority, poverty and overweight status. Children with serum cotinine levels >10 ng/L were excluded.

Findings: The incremental log 10 increase of urinary 1-OHP (ng/L) was significantly associated with 3.83 greater odds for ED or MD visit for wheezing (OR=3.83; p=0.01; 95% CI=1.33, 11.05) and 5.06 greater odds for school absence due to wheezing (OR=5.06; p=0.01; 95% CI=1.48, 17.36).

Conclusion: Findings suggest that PAH exposure is associated with increased risk of asthma exacerbations among children age 6-11 years in the U.S.

Learning Objectives:
1. Relate urinary 1-hydroxypyrene to the risk of asthma exacerbation in school-age children. 2. Describe 2 outcomes of asthma exacerbation. 3. Identify 3 sources of polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air. 4. Differentiate 2 pathways for human exposure.

Keywords: Air Pollutants, Asthma

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Masters in Public Health; presented at last year's APHA conference on environmental issue; published on environmental issue in EHP
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Asthma Epidemiology
See more of: Epidemiology