Allergie – eine Umwelterkrankung!

Abstract

The increase in allergies is a phenomenon that is being observed in all fast-developing countries. For a long time, science has taken as a starting point that solely a genetic predisposition is a precondition for the development of an allergy. Today, knowledge of environmental factors that can alter genes or the transcription of genes in the cells, has improved. Epidemiological studies have meanwhile identified several environmental factors that have a protective or supporting effect on allergy development. The environmental microbiome has recently gained central interest. A common theme in most of the studies is diversity: reduced diversity is correlated with enhanced risk for chronic inflammatory diseases and allergy.It is now of great interest for research to further analyze such environment-gene and/or environment-human interactions on all levels - from organs to cells to small and microstructures such as genes. For immunologists, it is specifically about understanding the influencing factors and effector pathways of allergens, and to apply thereby obtained insights in the follow-up for the ultimate goal of allergy research - prevention.

Alnus Airborne Pollen Trends during the Last 26 Years for Improving Machine Learning-Based Forecasting Methods

“…Nowadays, allergies have become an important public health problem in the urban environment of industrialised countries. This sickness is considered a global pandemic with a great impact on the worldwide economy [6,7]. In general, a higher prevalence of cases of sensitization related to pollen was detected in urban environments compared to rural areas [8,9].…”

Differential effects of lung inflammation on insulin resistance in humans and mice

“…Obesity is a complex, multifactorial disease, dependent on an interaction of genetic predisposition and environmental factors 4 . Based on western lifestyle and increased urban living, the obesity pandemic co‐occurs with a steady rise in allergic diseases 5‐7 . Today, approximately 30–40% of the population suffers from one or more allergic condition and the prevalence is increasing dramatically in developed and developing countries.…”

“…4 Based on western lifestyle and increased urban living, the obesity pandemic co-occurs with a steady rise in allergic diseases. [5][6][7] Today, approximately 30-40% of the population suffers from one or more allergic condition and the prevalence is increasing dramatically in developed and developing countries. Importantly, previous studies identified the metabolic syndrome as a major risk factor for the development of asthma.…”