Sensitization to mouse and
cockroach allergens and asthma morbidity in urban minority youth: Genes-environments and admixture in Latino American (GALA-n) and Study of African-Americans, Asthma, Genes, and Environments (SAGE-II).
In contrast, cross-sectional findings in children on bedroom
cockroach allergen, all recent, have been mixed.
Adkinson Jr., "Socioeconomic status and race as risk factors for
cockroach allergen exposure and sensitization in children with asthma," Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, vol.
Schal, "
Cockroach allergen biology and mitigation in the indoor environment," Annual Review of Entomology, vol.
German
cockroach allergen levels in North Carolina schools: comparison of Integrated Pest Management and conventional cockroach control.
In 2001, NIEHS researchers conducted a 6-month trial to test a new intervention method for reducing
cockroach allergen levels in low-income, urban homes.
The researchers also discovered that
cockroach allergens had a greater impact on asthma than did dust mite allergens.
From this research, Brenner and fellow researchers have developed a
cockroach allergen detection kit.
An estimated 20%-53% of allergic patients and 49-61% of asthmatic patients test positive in being sensitive to
cockroach allergen (Hannaway, 1993).
Exposure to
cockroach allergen in sensitized individuals can cause asthma exacerbation (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2000) and exposure to mold among sensitized individuals is associated with asthma exacerbation (IOM, 2004).
In particular, exposure to
cockroach allergen in early life can lead to allergic airway inflammation and an increased risk of developing asthma [18,19].