Environmental and occupational respiratory disordersAdvances in environmental and occupational diseases 2004
Section snippets
Risk factors for allergic sensitization and disease
There is now a general consensus that the increasing trends in allergic disease reflect a complex gene-environment interaction. Although there is still a lot of interest in the genetic basis of allergic disease, early opportunities to intervene in the allergy epidemic are likely to come from a better understanding of the environmental factors rather than trying to manipulate the gene pool or develop magic bullets based on genetic analysis. In a general review of the area, von Mutius1 outlined
Pet ownership
Five studies reported on the relationship of pet ownership to atopy and asthma. Arbes et al5 analyzed data from the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing, which looked at 831 US homes and analyzed the dust samples from the bed, bedroom floor, living room floor, and living room sofa. Both dog and cat allergens were present in significant quantities in all homes studied. Levels associated with an increased risk of allergic sensitization were found even in homes without pets, presumably
Mouse allergens
It has been known for some time that laboratory animals can cause sensitization and asthma, but the role of mouse allergens in conventional asthma is less clear. Four articles in last year's journal addressed this issue. Two of these were technical, describing assays for mouse allergens in dust samples.10, 11 Time will tell whether polyclonal ELISAs10 or assays for recombinant major allergens11 are optimal for this type of approach, but it is helpful to know that the technologies are now well
Outdoor environment
There is considerable interest in the role of the outdoor environment in the causation and exacerbation of asthma. Nobody is really sure whether outdoor allergens are important in triggering episodes of asthma or hospitalization. Some people believe that allergens are important as a risk factor for the development of asthma but might not play a particularly important part in episodes of asthma once the disease is established. We already know that viral infections are a key trigger for episodes
Occupational allergies
Relatively few articles addressed occupational allergy last year. We had one article on isocyanates and 4 on various aspects of latex allergy. Wisnewski et al21 developed a new method for creating conjugates of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) with human albumin. The rationale for the work is that previous studies have found it difficult to find appropriate materials to assess sensitization to isocyanates. This means that many patients with suspected isocyanate-induced asthma end up being
Endotoxin
In a mouse model of latex allergy, Howell et al25 reported that coexposure of latex with endotoxin (LPS) decreased the specific IgE response to latex but increased airways hyperreactivity in a nonspecific manner. They suggest that because significant levels of endotoxin have been found in latex gloves, there might be an interaction between the endotoxin and the latex allergens that affects both the likelihood of becoming sensitized to latex and perhaps the downstream consequences of the
Allergens
Identification of major allergens remains a popular topic, although there is now a priority to move forward and make use of all the information that we have gained to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Ibarrola et al28 identified a major allergen of the plane tree Platanus acerifolia. Planes are common trees throughout western cities, partly because they provide excellent summer shade and are visually pleasing. They also can be pollarded regularly, allowing them to remain
Conclusions
2004 was another good year for publications on environmental and occupational disorders in our journal. The major focus is clearly on the environment and particularly on environmental risk factors for sensitization and asthma. There is a growing consensus that exposure to pets is good, provided there is enough of it. Low levels enhance sensitization, and higher levels protect against the consequences of that sensitization. Following on from previous work on cockroaches, we now see allergy to
References (31)
Influences in allergy: epidemiology and the environment
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004)- et al.
Family history, dust mite exposure in early childhood, and risk for pediatric atopy and asthma
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004) - et al.
Airborne fungi in the homes of children with asthma in low-income urban communities: the Inner-City Asthma Study
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004) - et al.
Dog allergen (Can f 1) and cat allergen (Fel d 1) in US homes: results from the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004) - et al.
Effects of dog ownership and genotype on immune development and atopy in infancy
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004) - et al.
Asthma and sensitization in a community with low indoor allergen levels and low pet-keeping frequency
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004) - et al.
Presence and timing of cat ownership by age 18 and the effect on atopy and asthma at age 28
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004) - et al.
Airborne cat allergen reduction in classrooms that use special school clothing or ban pet ownership
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004) - et al.
Detection of mouse and rat urinary aeroallergens with an improved ELISA
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004) - et al.
Environmental detection of mouse allergen by means of immunoassay for recombinant Mus m 1
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(2004)
National prevalence and exposure risk for mouse allergen in US households
J Allergy Clin Immunol
Mouse allergen exposure and mouse skin test sensitivity in suburban, middle-class children with asthma
J Allergy Clin Immunol
Parental management of asthma triggers within a child's environment
J Allergy Clin Immunol
Abatement of cockroach allergens (Bla g 1 and Bla g 2) in low-income, urban housing: month 12 continuation results
J Allergy Clin Immunol
Clinical effectiveness of a mite allergen-impermeable bed-covering system in asthmatic mite-sensitive patients
J Allergy Clin Immunol
Cited by (19)
House dust bioactivities predict skin prick test reactivity for children with high risk of allergy
2012, Journal of Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyInterrelationships of quantitative asthma-related phenotypes in the Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness, and Atopy
2007, Journal of Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyCitation Excerpt :Studies in larger populations would be useful to assess the relationships between the various markers in nonasthmatic subjects. Environmental factors undoubtedly play a key role in the increase of asthma incidence in the last decades, and substantial research is being directed to understanding the role of environmental factors on allergy-related phenotypes.13-15,21,35-37 However, environmental factors associated specifically with eosinophilia are not yet known.
House dust extracts have both T <inf>H</inf>2 adjuvant and tolerogenic activities
2006, Journal of Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyCitation Excerpt :The effect of environmental exposures on the genesis of allergic respiratory diseases has been the focus of some investigation and far more controversy. Allergens present in ambient air play a role in driving the development of specific hypersensitivities.6-8 However, evidence suggests that living environments are also rich in additional factors (ie, TLR ligands and industrial pollutants) that directly activate innate immunity and thereby indirectly influence responses to airway allergen encounter.9,11,14,15
Toll-like receptor ligands and atopy: A coin with at least two sides
2006, Journal of Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyCitation Excerpt :Nonetheless, although for some allergens (ie, cockroach and mites) higher exposure levels have been associated with an increased risk of sensitization, for other allergens (ie, dogs, cats, and molds) this correlation has not been found.14,16 Furthermore, for allergens associated with animals, increased levels of exposure have been associated with decreased atopic risk in several studies.15,16 These and other observations suggest that aside from allergens themselves, other immunomodulatory elements within living environments influence the balance between immune homeostasis and dysregulation.