Contributing factors to the development of childhood asthma: working toward risk minimization

Abstract

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood, and considerable research has been undertaken to find ways to prevent its development and reduce its prevalence. For such interventions to be successful, risk factors for asthma emergence should be identified and clearly defined. Data are robust for some of them, including atopy, viral infections and exposure to airborne irritants, whereas it is less conclusive for others, such as aeroallergen exposure and bacterial infections. Several interventions for asthma prevention, including avoidance and pharmacotherapy, have been attempted. However, most of them have furnished equivocal results. Various issues hinder the establishment of risk factors for asthma development and reduce the effectiveness of interventions, including the complexity of the disease and the fluidity of the developing systems in childhood. In this review, we revisit the evidence on pediatric asthma risk factors and prevention and discuss issues that perplex this field.

Bacteriophage deficiency characterizes respiratory virome dysbiosis in childhood asthma

“…Furthermore, at least some viruses may persist 43 . Among these, prokaryotic viruses have been barely considered until now, despite their role in regulating bacterial abundance and promoting competition, stability and resilience 23,[44][45][46][47] within microbial ecosystems, which in turn may direct asthma development, activity and persistence 21,22,48,49 .…”

Rhinovirus Species–Specific Antibodies Differentially Reflect Clinical Outcomes in Health and Asthma

“…Asthma is a major contemporary epidemic (1). A considerable proportion of the asthma burden is attributed to acute exacerbations, which almost invariably (2) follow an upper respiratory tract infection (URI), most often caused by rhinoviruses (RVs) (3,4). In addition to exacerbations, RVs promote asthma in multiple ways (5)(6)(7).…”

Early exposure to cats, dogs and farm animals and the risk of childhood asthma and allergy

“…6,7,10 Single exposures are invariably contaminated by other exposures, 6 and the risk-exposure curve may not be linear. 11 Whether the association between exposure to pets and farm animals and the risk of asthma and allergy in children acts independently or in synergy remains largely unknown. 6,11 Any dose-response effect regarding the number and variety of these exposures on the risk of childhood asthma, therefore, needs to be elucidated.…”

“…11 Whether the association between exposure to pets and farm animals and the risk of asthma and allergy in children acts independently or in synergy remains largely unknown. 6,11 Any dose-response effect regarding the number and variety of these exposures on the risk of childhood asthma, therefore, needs to be elucidated. 3,12 We sought to investigate the independent and synergistic roles of exposure to an indoor cat, indoor dog, and farm animals during the first year of life in the development of asthma and allergy in children by the age of 5 years.…”

“…Rural 400 (13) 28 (7) .60 43 (11) .09 98 (25) . To any of the following allergens: inhalant, food, egg, milk, fish, wheat, dust mite, cat, timothy grass, and birch.…”