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Published on: August 7, 2017
Early-life risk factors which govern pro-allergic immunity
Catherine Ptaschinski1,2, Bernhard F Gibbs3
1Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Insights
Early life factors significantly shape allergic disease risk. Understanding prenatal influences on the immune system is key to predicting and potentially preventing allergies and anaphylaxis in children.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Allergy Research
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Allergic diseases impact up to 40% globally, with a notable increase in food allergies.
- Pro-allergic immune system programming primarily occurs in early childhood, influenced by prenatal factors.
- Genetic and environmental interactions during the perinatal period are critical for immune development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on factors influencing the development of pro-allergic immunity.
- To identify gaps in understanding regarding early-life allergy development.
- To explore prenatal and early-life determinants of allergic disease risk.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on allergy development.
- Analysis of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
- Synthesis of current research on perinatal immune programming.
Main Results:
- Identified filaggrin mutations, viral infections, chemical exposures, and microbiome as key influences.
- Highlighted the complexity and difficulty in predicting allergic response severity.
- Noted emerging clarity on parameters conditioning severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis.
Conclusions:
- Early-life factors, particularly during the perinatal period, are crucial for developing pro-allergic immunity.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex interplay of factors.
- Improved understanding may lead to better prediction and prevention strategies for allergic diseases.
Abstract:
Allergic diseases affect up to 40% of the global population with a substantial rise in food allergies, in particular, over the past decades. For the majority of individuals with allergy fundamental programming of a pro-allergic immune system largely occurs in early childhood where it is crucially governed by prenatal genetic and environmental factors, including their interactions. These factors include several genetic aberrations, such as filaggrin loss-of-function mutations, early exposure to respiratory syncytial virus, and various chemicals such as plasticizers, as well as the influence of the gut microbiome and numerous lifestyle circumstances. The effects of such a wide range of factors on allergic responses to an array of potential allergens is complex and the severity of these responses in a clinical setting are subsequently not easy to predict at the present time. However, some parameters which condition a pro-allergic immune response, including severe anaphylaxis, are becoming clearer. This review summarises what we currently know, and don't know, about the factors which influence developing pro-allergic immunity particularly during the early-life perinatal period.
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