Table 3.
Associations of Elaeis guineensis (oil palm) pollen sensitization with the severity and frequency of symptoms of allergic diseases in the Singapore/Malaysia Chinese population.
| Total (n = 13 652) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elaeis guineensis Positive SPT |
Elaeis guineensis Negative SPT |
P-value | OR (95% CI) | |
| Case/Control (%Case) | Case/Control (%Case) | |||
| Asthma-related symptomsa | ||||
| Wheezing | 39/113 (25.7) | 291/1422 (17) | 0.00995∗ | 1.68 (1.12–2.46) |
| Wheezing with exercise | 26/126 (17.1) | 210/1503 (12.3) | 0.0806 | 1.49 (0.93–2.30) |
| Nocturnal cough | 42/110 (27.6) | 332/1381 (19.4) | 0.0122∗ | 1.62 (1.10–2.35) |
| Asthma-related exacerbationsa | ||||
| Daytime Asthma Attack | 35/117 (23) | 214/1499 (12.5) | 5.03 x 10−4∗ | 2.07 (1.36–3.1) |
| Nighttime Asthma Attack | 37/115 (24.3) | 180/1533 (10.5) | 1.15 x 10−6∗ | 2.77 (1.82–4.13) |
| School Absence | 7/145 (4.6) | 80/1633 (4.7) | 0.614 | 0.8 (0.31–1.81) |
| GP/Specialist Visits | 32/120 (21.1) | 194/1519 (11.3) | 0.00112∗ | 2.11 (1.33–3.28) |
| A&E Admission | 7/145 (4.6) | 48/1665 (2.8) | 0.400 | 1.46 (0.56–3.36) |
| Hospitalization | 5/147 (3.3) | 15/1698 (0.9) | 0.0189∗ | 3.55 (1.11–9.64) |
| Any Exacerbation Eventb | 33/119 (21.7) | 206/1507 (12) | 0.00139∗ | 2.07 (1.31–3.21) |
| AR-related symptomsc | ||||
| Itchy nose | 266/62 (81.1) | 2950/929 (76.1) | 0.0181∗ | 1.41 (1.07–1.90) |
| Sneezing | 300/29 (91.2) | 3531/362 (90.7) | 0.642 | 1.10 (0.75–1.67) |
| Runny nose | 279/52 (84.3) | 3268/615 (84.2) | 0.896 | 0.98 (0.72–1.35) |
| Nose blockage | 265/65 (80.3) | 3119/757 (80.5) | 0.579 | 0.92 (0.70–1.24) |
| Severity of AR symptomsd | ||||
| Mild, n (%) | 86 (26) | 1367 (35) | ||
| Moderate-to-severe, n (%) | 245 (74) | 2534 (65) | 0.00113∗ | 1.53 (1.19–1.98) |
A&E: accident and emergency department of a hospital; AR: allergic rhinitis; CI: confidence interval; GP: general practitioner; OR: odds ratio; SPT: skin prick test. All data were evaluated based on skin prick test results of the Elaeis guineensis (oil palm) pollen allergen in a cross-sectional cohort of Singapore/Malaysia Chinese individuals (n = 13 652). P-value, odds ratio, and 95% CI were calculated using a logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age and gender.
∗p < 0.05 is considered as significant.
Asthma-related symptoms and exacerbation: cases are defined as asthma-affected individuals with the presence of asthma-related symptoms or exacerbations in the past 12 months. Controls are defined as asthma-affected individual with the absence of respective symptoms or exacerbations in the past 12 months.
Any exacerbation event includes school absence, GP/specialist visits, A&E admission, or hospitalization due to asthma exacerbation.
AR-related symptoms: cases are defined as AR-affected individuals with the presence of AR-related symptoms or exacerbations in the past 12 months. Controls are defined as AR-affected individual with the absence of respective symptoms in the past 12 months.
Severity of AR symptoms: Moderate-to-severe AR was defined as AR-affected individuals having at least one of the following disturbances due to AR-related symptoms in the past 12 months: disturbed sleep, impaired daily activities including sport, leisure, impaired work and school, and troublesome symptoms. Mild AR was defined as AR-affected individuals with the absence of these disturbances