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The hygiene hypothesis in allergy and asthma an update

The hygiene hypothesis in allergy and asthma an update REVIEW URRENT The hygiene hypothesis in allergy and asthma: PINION an update a a,b a Collin Brooks , Neil Pearce , and Jeroen Douwes Purpose of review It has been hypothesized that increased cleanliness, reduced family size, and subsequent decreased microbial exposure could explain the increases in global asthma prevalence. This review considers the recent evidence for and against the ‘hygiene hypothesis’. Recent findings Recent evidence does not provide unequivocal support for the hygiene hypothesis: the hygiene hypothesis specifically relates to atopic asthma, but some of the protective effects (e.g. farm exposures) appear to apply to both atopic and nonatopic asthma; asthma prevalence has begun to decline in some western countries, but there is little evidence that they have become less clean; Latin American countries with high infection rates have high asthma prevalence and the hygiene hypothesis relates to early-life exposures, but exposures throughout life may be important. Summary There is a considerable body of evidence which warrants scepticism about the hygiene hypothesis. However, these anomalies contradict the ‘narrow’ version of it in which microbial pressure early in life protects against atopic asthma by suppressing T-helper 2 immune responses. It is possible that a more general version of the http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology Wolters Kluwer Health

The hygiene hypothesis in allergy and asthma an update

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Copyright
Copyright © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
ISSN
1528-4050
eISSN
1473-6322
DOI
10.1097/ACI.0b013e32835ad0d2
pmid
23103806
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

REVIEW URRENT The hygiene hypothesis in allergy and asthma: PINION an update a a,b a Collin Brooks , Neil Pearce , and Jeroen Douwes Purpose of review It has been hypothesized that increased cleanliness, reduced family size, and subsequent decreased microbial exposure could explain the increases in global asthma prevalence. This review considers the recent evidence for and against the ‘hygiene hypothesis’. Recent findings Recent evidence does not provide unequivocal support for the hygiene hypothesis: the hygiene hypothesis specifically relates to atopic asthma, but some of the protective effects (e.g. farm exposures) appear to apply to both atopic and nonatopic asthma; asthma prevalence has begun to decline in some western countries, but there is little evidence that they have become less clean; Latin American countries with high infection rates have high asthma prevalence and the hygiene hypothesis relates to early-life exposures, but exposures throughout life may be important. Summary There is a considerable body of evidence which warrants scepticism about the hygiene hypothesis. However, these anomalies contradict the ‘narrow’ version of it in which microbial pressure early in life protects against atopic asthma by suppressing T-helper 2 immune responses. It is possible that a more general version of the

Journal

Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyWolters Kluwer Health

Published: Feb 1, 2013

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