Early‐life environment, developmental immunotoxicology, and the risk of pediatric allergic disease including asthma

Dietert, Rodney R.; Zelikoff, Judith T.

doi:10.1002/bdrb.20170

Cited by 107 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 209 publications

(243 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Third, contamination of fish by, for example, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) might be an explanation for negative results on fish consumption. Although studies suggest that exposure to these components may have immunologic effects early in life, 44,45 the effect on the development of asthma is indistinct. Fish is the major contributor of mercury consumption, 46 and no association between mercury exposure and wheezing symptoms have been found in preschool children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish Consumption in Infancy and Asthma-like Symptoms at Preschool Age

Jong

Vries²,

Franco³

et al. 2012

Pediatrics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether timing of introduction of fish and the amount of fish consumption in infancy were associated with asthmalike symptoms at preschool age. METHODS: This study was embedded in the Generation R study (a population-based birth cohort in Rotterdam, Netherlands). At the age of 12 and 14 months, timing of introduction of fish into the infant’s diet was assessed. The amount of fish consumption at 14 months was assessed by a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Presence of asthmalike symptoms in the past year was assessed at the child’s age of 36 and 48 months. RESULTS: Relative to no introduction in the first year of life, introduction between age 6 and 12 months was significantly associated with a lower risk of wheezing at 48 months (odds ratio [OR]: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.43–0.94). When compared with introduction between 6 and 12 months, no introduction in the first year and introduction between 0 and 6 months were associated with an increased risk of wheezing at 48 months (OR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.07–2.31 and OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.07–2.19, respectively). The amount of fish at age 14 months was not associated with asthmalike symptoms (P > .15). CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of fish between 6 and 12 months but not fish consumption afterward is associated with a lower prevalence of wheezing. A window of exposure between the age of 6 and 12 months might exist in which fish might be associated with a reduced risk of asthma.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish Consumption in Infancy and Asthma-like Symptoms at Preschool Age

Jong

Vries²,

Franco³

et al. 2012

Pediatrics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Other clearly defined risk factors are exposure to airborne environmental irritants such as tobacco smoke and traffic pollutants: evidence for their role comes from numerous large population-based studies, mostly involving retrospective analyses but also including some prospective cohort studies, which have been reviewed comprehensively by Wigle et al (Wigle et al, 2008). Additional factors that may play a significant contributory role include exposure to chemicals and various therapeutic drugs, such as paracetamol, and the availability of specific nutrients (Dietert and Zelikoff, 2008;Kim et al, 2009). For some of these risk factors, prenatal (i.e.…”

Section: Childhood Asthmamentioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetic changes in childhood asthma

Kumar

Hitchins

Foster

2009

Disease Models &Amp; Mechanisms

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Two novel conceptual frameworks have captured the imagination of biomedical scientists who are interested in the pathogenesis of chronic and complex diseases. One is epigenetics, which may explain how environmental factors can cause stable alterations in phenotype without changes in genotype. The other is transcriptional regulation by microRNA. In this Commentary, we examine the relevance of epigenetics and the role of microRNA in the induction and progression of asthma in childhood, and propose a model to link these mechanisms. Childhood asthmaAsthma is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting children, especially in economically developed nations. For example, in Australia the prevalence of asthma is 9-11% in the 2-4-year-old age group and 12-16% in the 5-17-year-old age group, with males affected more commonly than females (Ampon et al., 2007). Childhood asthma is linked strongly to atopy, which is a genetic predisposition to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in response to ordinary exposures to environmental allergens, and is often associated with symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis or eczema (Johansson et al., 2004). In turn, atopy is associated characteristically with a T helper 2 (Th2)-biased immunological response (Bacharier et al., 2008). However, the pathogenesis of this illness remains incompletely understood. Both genetic predisposition and various environmental factors clearly play important roles in the development of allergic asthma (Sly et al., 2008), but the relative importance of these various contributory mechanisms and the ways in which they might interact are difficult to assess.Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that the most important environmental factors that predispose to the development of asthma are lower respiratory tract viral infections associated with wheezing, especially in early childhood, and repeated inhalation exposure to allergens, which appear to be synergistic (Holt and Sly, 2007;Sly et al., 2008). The role of early-life viral infections is somewhat controversial because the so-called 'hygiene hypothesis' proposed that infections in early childhood, which are acquired by contact with older siblings or other children, might protect against subsequent development of asthma and other allergic diseases (reviewed by Wong and Chow, 2008). However, a recent longitudinal study involving prospective follow-up to 8 years of age strongly suggests that this is unlikely to be a valid notion (Caudri et al., 2009). Among the early-life viral infections, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus are of particular interest, because wheezing lower respiratory tract infections in the first year of life are associated strongly with subsequent development of asthma (Kristjansson et al., 2005;Sigurs et al., 2005; Kusel et al., 2007;Jackson et al., 2008; Mohapatra and Boyapalle, 2008). Other clearly defined risk factors are exposure to airborne environmental irritants such as tobacco smoke and traffic pollutants: evidence for their role comes from numerous larg...

show abstract

“…Immunotoxin exposure during pregnancy through causes such as maternal smoking, folate intake, heavy metals, antibiotics and environmental estrogens etc is a particular concern at a period from mid-gestation until 2 years after birth (Dietert & Zelikoff, 2008). Furthermore, maternal exposure to allergens can induce the fetus to respond specifically to the allergens at birth (Prescott et al, 1998(Prescott et al, , 1999; implying that allergen sensitization could be determined prenatally.…”

Section: Immune and Inflammatory Pathology In Childhood Asthmamentioning

confidence: 99%