Longitudinal asthma and allergy study showed that childhood symptoms frequently persisted into adulthood

BACKGROUNDThe development of asthma seems to be influenced by the adoption of a Western lifestyle. A study was undertaken to assess the importance of indoor environmental factors in Nepal where the lifestyle and home environment differ from that in the West.METHODSThe home environment of 121 schoolchildren with asthma and 126 controls aged 11–17 years was studied. The homes of all participants were investigated and the children and their mothers were interviewed using a standardised questionnaire. Cases and controls were identified from an ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood) based population study of 2330 schoolchildren in Kathmandu, Nepal.RESULTSKeeping cattle inside the house during the night was related to a lower risk for having asthma (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.2 (95% CI 0.1 to 0.5)) while there was no association between asthma and cattle kept outside. Asthma was associated with cigarette smoking by two or more family members (OR 1.9 (95% CI 1.0 to 3.9)) and with the domestic use of smoky fuels (OR 2.2 (95% CI 1.0 to 4.5)). In analyses stratified by sex, passive smoking and the use of smoky fuels were significantly associated with asthma only in boys.CONCLUSIONSThe risk of asthma in Nepalese children was lower in subjects exposed to cattle kept inside the house and higher in subjects exposed to passive smoking and indoor use of smoky fuels. Childhood exposure to microorganisms or allergens from cattle may protect against the development of atopic disease.

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Prenatal and Perinatal Environmental Influences Shaping the Neonatal Immune System: A Focus on Asthma and Allergy Origins

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18083962 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 3962

Author(s):

Azahara María García-Serna ◽

Elena Martín-Orozco ◽

Trinidad Hernández-Caselles ◽

Eva Morales

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Mode Of Delivery ◽

Environmental Influences ◽

Pet Ownership ◽

System A ◽

Neonatal Immune System ◽

Chemical Factors ◽

Asthma And Allergy

It is suggested that programming of the immune system starts before birth and is shaped by environmental influences acting during critical windows of susceptibility for human development. Prenatal and perinatal exposure to physiological, biological, physical, or chemical factors can trigger permanent, irreversible changes to the developing immune system, which may be reflected in cord blood of neonates. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the evidence on the role of the prenatal and perinatal environment, including season of birth, mode of delivery, exposure to common allergens, a farming environment, pet ownership, and exposure to tobacco smoking and pollutants, in shaping the immune cell populations and cytokines at birth in humans. We also discuss how reported disruptions in the immune system at birth might contribute to the development of asthma and related allergic manifestations later in life.

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