<i>Alternaria</i> sensitisation at age 6 years is associated with subsequent airway hyper-responsiveness in non-asthmatics.

Abstract

In the non-selected birth cohort Tucson Children's Respiratory Study, early sensitisation to <i>Alternaria</i> was associated with increased airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) into adult life among non-asthmatics. The increase in AHR was of a similar magnitude to that seen for <i>Alternaria</i> sensitised asthmatics and was primarily evident among those who were overweight or obese. In contrast, there was no significant association between early sensitisation to aeroallergens other than <i>Alternaria</i> and AHR among non-asthmatics. Why this group of <i>Alternaria</i> sensitised individuals without asthma demonstrated increased AHR of a magnitude similar to asthmatics is unknown and requires further investigation.