Dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) is an organochlorine insecticide that is banned internationally except for use as part of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) programs to control malaria. Although animal studies show that DDT and its breakdown product dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethylene (DDE) affect the immune system and may cause allergies, no studies have examined this question in populations where IRS is conducted. The aim of our study was to investigate whether prenatal exposure to DDT and DDE is associated with allergy symptoms and diagnose among South African children living in an area where IRS is conducted. To accomplish this aim, we used data from the Venda Health Examination of Mothers, Babies and their Environment (VHEMBE), an ongoing birth cohort study of 752 children born between 2012 and 2013 in the rural Vhembe district of Limpopo, South Africa. We measured maternal peripartum serum concentrations of DDT and DDE, and administered a questionnaire to the caregivers of 658 children aged 3.5 years to collect information on allergy symptoms and diagnoses as well as potential confounders using validated instruments. Using multiple logistic regression models, we found positive associations between DDT and DDE serum concentrations and most of the allergy symptoms and diagnoses. Maternal DDT (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.5 per 10-fold increase, 95% Confidence interval, CI = 1.0, 2.3) and DDE (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 0.8, 2.4) serum concentrations were most strongly associated with caregiver report of wheezing or whistling in the chest. Concentrations of DDT and/or DDE were also associated with increased odds of children's chests sounding wheezy during or after exercise, itchy rashes coming and going for at least six months, diagnosis of food allergy, and diagnosis of dust or dust mites allergy but confidence intervals crossed the null. Results suggest that prenatal exposure to DDT, and possibly DDE, is associated with elevated odds of wheezing among children from an IRS area.

中文翻译：

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南非母亲，婴儿及其环境的Venda健康检查（VHEMBE）中，产前DDT和DDE暴露与过敏症状和诊断之间的关联。

二氯二苯基三氯乙烷（DDT）是一种有机氯杀虫剂，除用作室内残留喷洒（IRS）计划以控制疟疾的一部分外，在国际上均被禁止。尽管动物研究表明DDT及其分解产物二氯二苯基二氯乙烯（DDE）影响免疫系统并可能引起过敏，但尚无研究在进行IRS的人群中研究此问题。我们研究的目的是调查出生前暴露于DDT和DDE是否与过敏症状有关，并在居住在进行IRS的南非儿童中进行诊断。为了实现这一目标，我们使用了来自母亲，婴儿及其环境的Venda健康检查（VHEMBE）的数据，该研究正在进行中，研究对象是2012年至2013年之间在林波波乡村Vhembe区出生的752名儿童，南非。我们测量了孕妇围产期DDT和DDE的血清浓度，并向658名3.5岁的儿童的照护者进行了问卷调查，以使用经过验证的仪器收集有关过敏症状和诊断的信息以及潜在的混杂因素。使用多个逻辑回归模型，我们发现DDT和DDE血清浓度与大多数过敏症状和诊断之间存在正相关。孕产妇的滴滴涕（几率[OR] = 1.5 /每增加10倍，置信区间95％，CI = 1.0，2.3）和DDE（OR = 1.4，95％CI = 0.8，2.4）与看护者关系最密切气喘吁吁或在胸部吹口哨的报告。在运动中或运动后，DDT和/或DDE的浓度也与儿童胸部发狂的几率增加有关，发痒的皮疹至少持续六个月，诊断为食物过敏，并诊断为粉尘或尘螨过敏，但置信区间超过了零。结果表明，产前接触DDT和DDE可能与IRS地区儿童的喘息几率增加有关。