OBJECTIVES: to identify prick test hypersensitivity to molds in asthmatic school children in a low-income urban community. METHODS: thirteen children who had more than three asthma attacks in the last 12 months from March'1997 to June'1998 were evaluated. These children were selected from a previous cross-sectional survey studying 123 children from 6 to 10 years old residing at the low-income urban community of Campo do Banco-Várzea, Recife, Pernambuco. The 123 children were tested by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood survey to determine asthma. The 13 asthmatic children selected were evaluated with the prick test for immediate hypersensitivity to six standard mold extracts: aspergillus mix, penicillium mix, hormodendrum cladosporidiodes, alternaria tenius, helminthosporium interseminatum and mold mix. RESULTS: there were 12 mold-sensitive children from the group of 13 children, showing a positive result to at least one of the mold extracts used (12/13). Mold extracts of higher positive incidence were: Aspergillus mix (7/13), Penicillium mix (6/13) and Hormodendrum Cladosporidiodes (5/13). CONCLUSIONS: the evaluated children had high prick test reactivity to mold extracts. The findings indicate the need for additional studies to analyze a possible association between fungal exposure and asthma.
Asthma; Fungi; Skin tests
