Chiyako Oshikata

and 12 more

Background: We previously reported increased prevalence of asthma in adults who lived in temporary housing after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. To investigate changes in asthma prevalence and mite-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) titers in temporary housing residents from 2014 through 2019. Methods: We diagnosed asthma in Ishinomaki city temporary housing residents (age,  15 years) by using the GINA guidelines. We analyzed serum antigen-specific IgE levels to Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p), and Aspergillus fumigatus. Results: The prevalence of asthma exceeded 20% across all age groups throughout the study period. The proportion of study participants with a ‘positive’ antigen-specific IgE titer (i.e.,  0.35 IUA/mL) was higher in asthmatics than in non-asthmatics for Der f and Der p but not for Aspergillus fumigatus. Residents  50 years old who diagnosed asthma or non-asthma, the percentage with Der f -specific IgE titer  0.10 IUA/mL was higher than in those with  0.35 IUA/mL. Among study participants, asthma onset occurred before the earthquake, during residence in shelters or temporary housing, and, after 2016, moving out of temporary housing. The Der p-specific IgE level was positively correlated with the duration of temporary housing (P < 0.05, r = 0.41) and inversely correlated with the time elapsed since moving out of temporary housing (P < 0.05, r = –0.35). Conclusions: Mite allergen sensitization was found in non-asthmatic temporary housing residents after the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami; asthma developed even after subjects moved out of temporary housing.