To investigate the relationship between farming exposures and asthma, we have developed a case-cohort study within a large cohort of farmers -- the Agricultural Health Study. This study follows up findings regarding the association between correlates of exposure to pathogen associated molecular patterns (such as endotoxin) and various questionnaire-based asthma and atopy phenotypes. It is also designed to follow-up findings based on questionnaire data of positive associations between pesticide exposures, especially organophospates, and questionnaire-based asthma phenotypes. To confirm and better understand these associations, objective measures of asthma and atopy phenotype are needed along with more detailed and objective exposure assessment. Field work began in February 2009 and continues to date. This study builds upon the Agricultural Health Study, a large cohort of farmers and their spouses in Iowa and North Carolina. For case and noncase identification, we are using the third wave of questionnaire follow-up ongoing in the larger study. Our asthma add-on study involves making home visits with objective measures of exposure and asthma and allergy phenotypes on approximately 1,700 asthma cases and a random sample of the cohort as a comparison group (case-cohort design).

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$333,795
Indirect Cost
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State
Country
Zip Code
Baumert, Brittney O; Carnes, Megan Ulmer; Hoppin, Jane A et al. (2018) Sleep apnea and pesticide exposure in a study of US farmers. Sleep Health 4:20-26
Lee, Mi Kyeong; Carnes, Megan U; Butz, Natasha et al. (2018) Exposures Related to House Dust Microbiota in a U.S. Farming Population. Environ Health Perspect 126:067001
Wyss, Annah B; House, John S; Hoppin, Jane A et al. (2018) Raw milk consumption and other early-life farm exposures and adult pulmonary function in the Agricultural Lung Health Study. Thorax 73:279-282
Hoppin, Jane A; Umbach, David M; Long, Stuart et al. (2017) Pesticides are Associated with Allergic and Non-Allergic Wheeze among Male Farmers. Environ Health Perspect 125:535-543
House, John S; Wyss, Annah B; Hoppin, Jane A et al. (2017) Early-life farm exposures and adult asthma and atopy in the Agricultural Lung Health Study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 140:249-256.e14
Fessler, Michael B; Carnes, Megan U; Salo, Päivi M et al. (2017) House Dust Endotoxin and Peripheral Leukocyte Counts: Results from Two Large Epidemiologic Studies. Environ Health Perspect 125:057010
Carnes, Megan Ulmer; Hoppin, Jane A; Metwali, Nervana et al. (2017) House Dust Endotoxin Levels Are Associated with Adult Asthma in a U.S. Farming Population. Ann Am Thorac Soc 14:324-331
Igartua, Catherine; Myers, Rachel A; Mathias, Rasika A et al. (2015) Ethnic-specific associations of rare and low-frequency DNA sequence variants with asthma. Nat Commun 6:5965