Asthmatics more irritated by dogs

Seattle, Pa.-A new study shows that asthmatics are more irritated by airborne dog allergens than cat allergens.

The Asthma Clinical Research Network (ACRN) put cats, dogs, cockroaches and nine other allergens to the test to see how each affected people with asthma.

"Although a greater number of people had reactions to cat allergen, dogs came out on top as promoting greater disturbances in pulmonary function measurements for asthmatics," says Tim Craig, D.O., professor of medicine and pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and lead author for the study. "This may be surprising to many because it dispels the myth that cats cause more severe allergic reactions."

The study, presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Seattle, included 809 adults - 361 males and 448 females - from the six medical centers that are members of the ACRN clinical team. Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is the data coordinating center for the ACRN.

The study assessed skin testing that was done on all patients to determine their specific sensitivities and compared it to tests used to determine asthma stability. The baseline sensitivity test, a skin test, showed that in addition to their asthma, 95 percent of those in the study were allergic to at least one allergen, with the average number of positive tests being five per patient.

Results showed that dogs caused a reaction in 38 percent of patients in the study. About 72 percent of patients were allergic to cats and about 58 percent were allergic to mites.

Researchers took three measurements of the asthmatic reaction to the allergens: amount of air exhaled; amount of nitric oxide in the exhalation; and the make-up of the cells of any mucus that may have been coughed up.