The allergy epidemic extends beyond the past few decades

Isolauri, Erika; Huurre, Anu; Salminen, Seppo; Impivaara, Olli

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.01999.x

Cited by 104 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The increase in incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and economic burden of noncommunicable respiratory diseases such as asthma over recent decades presents a significant challenge to public health (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Approximately 300 million people worldwide currently have asthma (8).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Indoor Air Pollution from Biomass and Solid Fuel Combustion on Prevalence of Self-Reported Asthma among Adult Men and Women in India: Findings from a Nationwide Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Survey

Agrawal

2012

Journal of Asthma

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Objectives-Increasing prevalence of asthma in developing countries has been a significant challenge for public health in recent decades. A number of studies have suggested that ambient air pollution can trigger asthma attacks. Biomass and solid fuels are a major source of indoor air pollution, but in developing countries the health effects of indoor air pollution are poorly understood. In this study we examined the effect of cooking smoke produced by biomass and solid fuel combustion on the reported prevalence of asthma among adult men and women in India.Methods-The analysis is based on 99,574 women and 56,742 men aged between 20 and 49 years included in India's third National Family Health Survey conducted in [2005][2006]. Effects of exposure to cooking smoke, determined by the type of fuel used for cooking such as biomass and solid fuels versus cleaner fuels, on the reported prevalence of asthma were estimated using multivariate logistic regression. Since the effects of cooking smoke are likely to be confounded with effects of tobacco smoking, age, and other such factors, the analysis was carried out after statistically controlling for such factors.Results-The results indicate that adult women living in households using biomass and solid fuels have a significantly higher risk of asthma than those living in households using cleaner fuels (OR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.06-1.49; p = .010), even after controlling for the effects of a number of potentially confounding factors. Interestingly, this effect was not found among men (OR: 0.98; 95%CI: 0.77-1.24; p = .846). However, tobacco smoking was associated with higher asthma prevalence among both women (OR: 1.72; 95%CI: 1.34-2.21; p < .0001) and men (OR: 1.35; 95%CI: 1.49-2.25; p < .0001). Combined effects of biomass and solid fuel use and tobacco smoke on the risk of asthma were greater and more significant in women (OR: 2.16; 95%CI: 1.58-2.94; p < .0001) than they were in men (OR: 1.34; 95%CI: 1.04-1.72; p = .024). Conclusions-The Europe PMC Funders Group

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Indoor Air Pollution from Biomass and Solid Fuel Combustion on Prevalence of Self-Reported Asthma among Adult Men and Women in India: Findings from a Nationwide Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Survey

Agrawal

2012

Journal of Asthma

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“…In addition, many airborne bacteria and fungi can cause human diseases (45), particularly in individuals that are immunocompromised or otherwise sensitive to a broad range of allergenic and toxigenic biological material (11,44). With the prevalence of asthma increasing worldwide in recent decades (4,20), there is a growing need to better understand the diversity and spatiotemporal dynamics of airborne microbes.…”

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confidence: 99%

Short-Term Temporal Variability in Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Populations

Fierer

Liu

Rodríguez-Hernández

et al. 2008

Appl Environ Microbiol

239

210

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Airborne microorganisms have been studied for centuries, but the majority of this research has relied on cultivation-dependent surveys that may not capture all of the microbial diversity in the atmosphere. As a result, our understanding of airborne microbial ecology is limited despite the relevance of airborne microbes to human health, various ecosystem functions, and environmental quality. Cultivation-independent surveys of small-subunit rRNA genes were conducted in order to identify the types of airborne bacteria and fungi found at a single site (Boulder, CO) and the temporal variability in the microbial assemblages over an 8-day period. We found that the air samples were dominated by ascomycete fungi of the Hypocreales order and a diverse array of bacteria, including members of the proteobacterial and Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides groups that are commonly found in comparable culture-independent surveys of airborne bacteria. Bacterium/fungus ratios varied by 2 orders of magnitude over the sampling period, and we observed large shifts in the phylogenetic diversity of bacteria present in the air samples collected on different dates, shifts that were not likely to be related to local meteorological conditions. We observed more phylogenetic similarity between bacteria collected from geographically distant sites than between bacteria collected from the same site on different days. These results suggest that outdoor air may harbor similar types of bacteria regardless of location and that the short-term temporal variability in airborne bacterial assemblages can be very large.

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“…Although the patterns of AS and HF vary throughout the world, considerable increases in the prevalence of these diseases have occurred globally over recent years (Aberg, 1989;Burney et al, 1990;Burr et al, 2006;Fleming & Crombie, 1987;Galassi et al, 2006;Isolauri et al, 2004). Because the rise has been far too rapid to implicate any genetic basis for change, various environmental and lifestyle factors have been proposed, and most recently the 'hygiene hypothesis' has also been explored as a possible explanation (Bach, 2002).…”

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confidence: 99%

Heritability and Shared Genetic Effects of Asthma and Hay Fever: An Italian Study of Young Twins

Fagnani¹,

Annesi‐Maesano

Brescianini

et al. 2008

Twin Res Hum Genet

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A number of studies have provided evidence of a significant familial aggregation for both asthma and hay fever, and have reported a substantial comorbidity between the two conditions. However, far fewer, especially in Italy, have aimed at clarifying the origins of such comorbidity. The main aims of the present study were (a) to estimate heritability of asthma and hay fever, (b) to measure the association between asthma and hay fever at the individual level, and (c) to assess the extent to which genetic and environmental factors, shared by the two conditions, mediate this association. The twin method was used. The study sample was derived from the Italian Twin Registry, and included 392 twin pairs aged 8 to 17 years. Data collection was performed through parent self-administered questionnaire. Bivariate structural equation twin modeling was applied to asthma and hay fever. Genetic factors accounted for 92% and 78% of the variance in liability to asthma and hay fever, respectively, with the remaining contributions due to unique environmental influences. The within-individual association between asthma and hay fever was substantial. The genetic correlation between the two conditions was .58, whereas no evidence of overlapping unique environmental effects was found. In conclusion, this study showed a high heritability of asthma and hay fever in the Italian child and adolescent population. It also indicated that asthma and hay fever share, to a large extent, a common genetic background, and environmental factors are not relevant to explain the comorbidity.

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The allergy epidemic extends beyond the past few decades

Cited by 104 publications

References 30 publications

Effect of Indoor Air Pollution from Biomass and Solid Fuel Combustion on Prevalence of Self-Reported Asthma among Adult Men and Women in India: Findings from a Nationwide Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Survey

Effect of Indoor Air Pollution from Biomass and Solid Fuel Combustion on Prevalence of Self-Reported Asthma among Adult Men and Women in India: Findings from a Nationwide Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Survey

Short-Term Temporal Variability in Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Populations

Heritability and Shared Genetic Effects of Asthma and Hay Fever: An Italian Study of Young Twins

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