Farming exposure in childhood, exposure to markers of infections and the development of atopy in rural subjects

Abstract

Exposure to farming environments in childhood might predict T. gondii seropositivity in rural subjects. Nevertheless, the strongest predictor for atopy in rural subjects seems to be regular contact with farm animals. Whether T. gondii infection is an intermediate factor in the association between farm contact and atopy needs to be confirmed in larger studies.

Allergies, infections and the hygiene hypothesis – The epidemiological evidence

“…Children from a neighbourhood in the same village but much less exposed to farm activities serve as natural controls. There is rather consistent evidence showing that farm children have a significantly lower prevalence of hay fever and atopic sensitisation in childhood which is persisting into adulthood (Ernst and Cormier, 2000;Klintberg et al, 2001;Leynaert et al, 2001;Riedler et al, 2001;Portengen et al, 2002;Rennie et al, 2002;Remes et al, 2003;Eduard et al, 2004;Elliott et al, 2004;Radon et al, 2004a). It is still unclear which specific farm exposures explain the protective effect, but animal sheds, hay lofts and the consumption of unpasteurised cow's milk have so far all been identified as protective exposures (Riedler et al, 2001).…”

Allergien und traditioneller Lebensstil

“…Deshalb könnte eine Erklärung für den protektiven Effekt des bäuerlichen Lebensumfelds darin bestehen, dass die Exposition mit derartigen Erregern auch zum Schutz beitragen könnte. Eine Studie hat die Assoziation zwischen Nutztierkontakt und serologischen Markern solcher gastrointestinal vermittelnden Infektionen untersucht und gezeigt, dass diese Mechanismen unabhängig voneinander agieren (Radon et al 2004b). Es wurde gezeigt, dass der frühe Kontakt zu Stalltieren die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Seropositivität von Toxoplasma gondii erhöht, allerdings war der frühere Kontakt zu Nutztieren unabhängig von der Toxoplasma gondii Infektion immer noch der stärkste Schutzfaktor für die atopische Sensibilisierung.…”

Outcomes in Patients with Helicobacter pylori Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

“…A new wave of experts has expressed the opinion that H. pylori is an important member of the microbiome. Its absence has been associated with an increased prevalence of childhood allergies and asthma as well as esophageal carcinoma [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. It has also been identified as a suppressor of ghrelin, a hormone that drives the hunger response [22][23][24].…”