BCG Immunization at Birth and Atopic Diseases in a Homogeneous Population of Spanish Schoolchildren

Vol. 137, No. 4, 2005

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Original Paper

BCG Immunization at Birth and Atopic Diseases in a Homogeneous Population of Spanish Schoolchildren
L. García-Marcos^a, M. Morales Suárez-Varela^b, I. Miner Canflanca^c, J. Batlles Garrido^d, A. Blanco Quirós^e, A. López-Silvarrey Varela^f, G. García Hernández^g, F. Guillén-Grima^h, C. González Díazⁱ, I. Huerta González^j, A. Arnedo Pena^k, R. Busquets Monge^l

^aCartagena Clinical and Research Unit and Department of Pediatrics, University of Murcia, Murcia,
^bPublic and Environmental Health Unit, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia,
^cDepartment of Pediatrics, Donostia Hospital, San Sebastián,
^dDepartment of Pediatrics, Torrecárdenas Hospital, Almería,
^eDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Valladolid, Valladolid,
^fMaría José Jove Foundation, La Coruña,
^gPediatric Allergy and Pneumology Unit, 12 de Octubre Children's Hospital, Madrid,
^hDepartment of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Navarra,
ⁱDepartment of Pediatrics, Basurto Hospital, Bilbao,
^jDepartment of Public Health, Regional Health Authority, Asturias,
^kDepartment of Epidemiology, Regional Health Authority, Castellón, and
^lDepartment of Pediatrics, Hospital del Mar UAB, Barcelona, Spain

Address of Corresponding Author

Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2005;137:303-309 (DOI: 10.1159/000086461)

Key Words

BCG
Asthma
Hay fever
Atopic dermatitis
Schoolchildren
Spain

Abstract

Background: The role of immunization with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in the prevalence of asthma, hay fever and atopic dermatitis is not definitely established and seems to be influenced by ethnic background. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between this immunization and the prevalence of those diseases in a homogeneous population of Spanish schoolchildren. Methods: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) core and environmental questionnaires were used in four different centers of the Spanish North Atlantic coast. Bilbao, San Sebastián and Asturias have a universal BCG immunization policy during the first days of life, whereas La Coruña discontinued this practice in 1989. Except for this center, immunization coverage was above 90%. A random sample of schools of Asturias or all schools in the city district (rest of centers) with children 6 and 7 years old was surveyed. Results: The participation rate was above 70%. After excluding those children born outside Spain, the numbers were 6,762 immunized and 2,828 nonimmunized. After adjusting for gender, age, smoking habits of the father and mother, truck traffic near the household, older and younger siblings and having a cat or a dog during the first year of the child's life, the adjusted ORs of the BCG-immunized children suffering from asthma, hay fever and atopic dermatitis were respectively 0.87 (95% CI 0.76-1.00), 0.87 (0.75-1.01) and 0.89 (0.76-1.05). Conclusions: BCG immunization offers a weak but significant protection against asthma and hay fever in Spanish schoolchildren.

Author Contacts

Correspondence to: Luis García-Marcos
Unidad de Investigación
Pza. San Agustin, 3
ES-30201 Cartagena (Spain)
Tel. +34 968 326679, Fax +34 968 326690, E-Mail lgmarcos@um.es

Article Information

Received: December 13, 2004
Accepted after revision: March 24, 2005
Published online: June 20, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 25

Medline Abstract (ID 15970638)

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