Risk of sensitization to ecopollutants in teenagers with inherited chemical burden

Abstract

At present allergic diseases are detected in 30% people and their frequency is only growing. A significant role in allergic pathology occurrence belongs to ambient air contamination and chemicals being introduced not only into children’s bodies, but their parents’ ones as well since pollutants can act as allergens and sensitizing agents. Our research goal was to examine influence exerted by parents’ pre-gestation exposure to chemicals on sensitization among teenagers living in an area where ambient air was contaminated. We examined overall immunoglobulin E contents and leukocytes migration inhibition test with formaldehyde and sodium nitrite in 115 teenagers whose parents worked under adverse working conditions at chemical and petrochemical enterprises and in 244 schoolchildren whose parents didn’t have any occupational contacts with chemicals. Each group was divided into sub-groups depending on inhalation chemical burden on schoolchildren’s bodies caused by ambient air contamination and contaminated air indoors (with hazard index (HI) for immune disorders being lower than 2 and HI≥2). The research allowed establishing that teenagers whose parents had worked at chemical and petrochemical enterprises during a pre-gestation period had elevated IgE contents more frequently as well as changes in leukocytes migration inhibition test with formaldehyde; it indicated there was sensitization to this chemical. Parents’ occupational contacts with chemicals led to an increase in relative risks of elevated igE contents and 2.5 times higher sensitization among schoolchildren with HI<2. Risk that sensitization to formaldehyde might occur was equal to 2.3 among senior schoolchildren with HI≥2 whose parents worked at chemical enterprises.