The influence of genetic predisposition on the prevalence of atopic diseases in Carinthian school children

The reasons for the origin and increasing rise in incidence of atopic disea ses such as bronchial asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in ma ny countries are still unknown. Our survey carried out within the frame of the ISAAC protocol comprised three districts in the Austrian province of Ca rinthia. A complete study of first and second year elementary school childr en was done in order to uncover a relationship between "presumed exposure" to different possible risk factors with that of an atopic disorder (i.e. as thma, hay fever, eczema). The results show a significant association betwee n the occurrence of atopic disorders and genetic predisposition and the fac t that a carpet which had previously been present in the child's bedroom, h ad been removed due to the presence of an allergic disease in a family memb er. The logistic regression model explains a very small part of the overall variability (R-2 = 7.32%).