울산의 두 지역 초등학생의 알레르기 질환 유병과 요중 카드뮴 농도와의 관련성

The Relationship between the Prevalence of Allergic Diseases and Urinary Cadmium Concentrations among School-age Children in Two Regions in Ulsan Metropolitan City

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to determine the relationship between the prevalence of allergic diseases and urinary cadmium concentration among children from six to 12 years of age, and to evaluate the association between cadmium in urine and other immunologically related factors in two elementary schools with different environmental conditions. Methods: Data on physician-diagnosed prevalence over the past 12 months and potential risk factors for allergic disease were collected from survey results drawn from 236 children living in different regions (central urban vs. suburban) from April to July in 2014 by an ISAAC questionnaire. We analyzed cytokine levels in serum through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and urinary cadmium concentration by use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results: Concentrations of urinary cadmium in suburban and central urban children were 0.11±0.11 ug/L, 0.14±0.17 ug/L, respectively (p>0.05). Results from the analysis of the t-test and chi-square test showed that urinary cadmium levels were positively associated with environmental factors (paternal smoking status, passive smoking, traffic volume and experiences of outdoor odors) and individual genetic factors (parental allergic disease). Cadmium concentrations in urine were also positively associated with the prevalence of allergic disease and immune-related cytokines (eosinophils, IgE, IL-5, IL-33, IL-17). Conclusion: This study suggests that genetic factors (parental history of allergic diseases), environmental factors, and regional status (suburban and central urban) should be considered as probable factors increasing the concentration of urinary cadmium, which has the potential to influence the allergic disease prevalence of school-age children.