3. El-Sharif, N., Abdeen, Z., Barghuthy, F. and Nemery B. Familial and Environmental Determinants for Wheezing and Asthma in a Case-Control Study of School Children in Palestine. Clinical & Experimental Allergy 2003; 33,2: 176-186.

The aim of this study is to investigate familial, early life exposures and indoor environment determinants for asthma in children in Palestine. A group of 273 children with wheeze in the past 12 months (of whom 99 children had physician-diagnosed asthma) were matched with an equal number of non-wheezing controls. Paternal asthma and maternal hay fever significantly tripled the risk of their children to have wheezing. Previous diagnosis of bronchial allergy, bronchitis, pneumonia, or whooping cough, and positive skin prick testing (SPT) for house dust mites and cockroaches were significantly more likely among wheezing and asthmatic children than controls. Specific IgE levels for house dust mites and cat allergens showed significantly higher risk for reported wheezing. The study confirmed that familial “atopic” diseases are significant predictors of childhood asthma in Palestinian children.