Married couples' risk of same disease: cross sectional study

Hippisley‐Cox, Julia; Coupland, Carol; Pringle, Mike; Crown, Nicola; Hammersley, Vicky

doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7365.636

Cited by 144 publications

(160 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Supporting this idea are analyses of the rates of asthma in genetically unrelated family members. One small study has found its prevalence to be increased in nonallergic, family historynegative spouses of affected adults (12,13), and another has found the rates of asthma to be nearly as high in adopted children of mothers with asthma as in natural children (14).…”

Section: Asthma As a Transmissible Diseasementioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Manipulation of Immune Function for Asthma Prevention: Inferences from Clinical Trials

Yoo

Tcheurekdjian

Lynch

et al. 2007

Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society

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The "hygiene hypothesis" proposes that the increase in allergic diseases in developing countries reflects a decrease in infections during childhood. Cohort studies suggest, however, that the risks of asthma are increased in children who suffer severe illness from a viral respiratory infection in infancy. This apparent inconsistency can be reconciled through consideration of epidemiologic, clinical, and animal studies. The elements of this line of reasoning are that viral infections can predispose to organ-specific expression of allergic sensitization, and that the severity of illness is shaped by the maturity of immune function, which in turn is influenced by previous contact with bacteria and viruses, whether pathogenic or not. Clinical studies of children and interventional studies of animals indeed suggest that the exposure to microbes through the gastrointestinal tract powerfully shapes immune function. Intestinal microbiota differ in infants who later develop allergic diseases, and feeding Lactobacillus casei to infants at risk has been shown to reduce their rate of developing eczema. This has prompted studies of feeding probiotics as a primary prevention strategy for asthma. We propose that the efficacy of this approach depends on its success in inducing maturation of immune function important in defense against viral infection, rather than on its effectiveness in preventing allergic sensitization. It follows that the endpoints of studies of feeding probiotics to infants at risk for asthma should include not simply tests of responsiveness to allergens, but also assessment of intestinal flora, immune function, and the clinical response to respiratory viral infection.Keywords: asthma; gastrointestinal; lactobacilli; microbes; prevention The purpose of this review is to sketch the rationale for a theory of asthma's pathogenesis. The proposed theory is that asthma is caused, at least in part, by infection, especially in infancy, by a respiratory virus, most likely a human rhinovirus (HRV). The development of asthma may thus be a function of the "asthmagenic" pathogenicity of the strains of RV causing asthma in infancy and of the efficacy of antiviral immune function at the time of infection. This review notes how the validity of this theory might be examined by adding additional outcomes to ongoing trials of feeding a "probiotic," like Lactobacillus casei, to infants as a primary prevention strategy for allergic disease. Space constraint does not permit more than a brief, partial review

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Section: Asthma As a Transmissible Diseasementioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Manipulation of Immune Function for Asthma Prevention: Inferences from Clinical Trials

Yoo

Tcheurekdjian

Lynch

et al. 2007

Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society

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“…It was shown earlier that married couples share the occurrence of many common diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and asthma (Hippisley-Cox et al, 2002). The most likely explanation for that phenomenon, despite selective mating, is a shared lifestyle including diet, physical exercise or environmental factors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

We and our pets: Allergic together?

Schäfer

Merkl

Klemm

et al. 2008

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica

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The study of allergies in creatures living together without being relatives can help us understand the impact of environmental influences. We tested the association of allergies in humans and their pets. A nested unmatched case-control study was performed in a random sample of 4261 inhabitants, aged 25-74 years, of the City of Augsburg, Germany and two adjacent counties. Using standardised computer-assisted face-to-face interviews, we determined and compared the prevalence of doctor-diagnosed atopic diseases (hay fever, asthma, atopic dermatitis) in the study subjects and veterinarian-diagnosed allergies in their pets. Pets were kept in 48.0% of the households (cats 26.1%, dogs 20.1%, rodents 9.7%) and a veterinarian had diagnosed an allergy in 3.9% (cats 3.3%, dogs 4.7%, rodents 1.2%). Atopic diseases were diagnosed in 20.2% of the study subjects (asthma 6.1%, hay fever 13.7%, atopic dermatitis 5.1%). After adjustment for age, sex, parental predisposition and social status a significant association between hay fever in the study subjects and allergies in their pets was observed [odds ratio (OR) 1.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-2.97]. This association was more pronounced when investigating dogs only (OR 2.76,) where in addition an association with the overall prevalence of atopic diseases in the study subjects reached significance (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.16-4.58). We conclude that there is indication for a concomitant occurrence of allergies in humans and their pets. Shared environmental factors are the most likely explanation.

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“…Maar er zijn ook aanwijzingen dat partners van mensen met een niet-besmettelijke aandoening meer kans lopen om dezelfde aandoening te krijgen. Onderzoek laat zien dat, rekening houdend met leeftijd, roken en overgewicht, partners van mensen met astma, depressie of een maagzweer tenminste 70% meer kans hadden om dezelfde ziekte te krijgen (Hippisley-Cox, Coupland, Pringle, Crown & Hammersley, 2002). Invloeden van genetische overdracht, socialisatie en gezinsomstandigheden blijken niet makkelijk te scheiden, gezinsgelijkenissen ontstaan mede door een combinatie van deze drie mechanismen.…”

Section: Gezinsgelijkenissen In Consultgedragunclassified