Growing up on a farm leads to lifelong protection against allergic rhinitis

Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Volumn 65, Issue 11, 2010, Pages 1397-1403

  Eriksson, J ^a   Ekerljung, L ^a   Lotvall J ^a   Pullerits, T ^a   Wennergren, G ^a   Ronmark E ^a,c,d   Toran K ^a,b   Lundback B ^a,c  

^a UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG   (Sweden)

^b UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG   (Sweden)

^c SUNDERBY HOSPITAL   (Sweden)

^d UMEÅ UNIVERSITY   (Sweden)

Author keywords

Allergic rhinitis; Allergy; Epidemiology; Population survey

Indexed keywords

ADOLESCENT; ADULT; AGED; AGRICULTURAL LAND; ALLERGIC RHINITIS; ARTICLE; ASTHMA; CLINICAL ASSESSMENT; CORRELATION ANALYSIS; FEMALE; HUMAN; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; MALE; PREVALENCE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PROPHYLAXIS; QUESTIONNAIRE; SWEDEN; URBANIZATION;

ADOLESCENT; ADULT; AGED; AGRICULTURE; FEMALE; HUMANS; HYPERSENSITIVITY; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; PREVALENCE; QUESTIONNAIRES; RHINITIS; RISK FACTORS; RURAL POPULATION; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 78649280670     PISSN: 01054538     EISSN: 13989995     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2010.02397.x     Document Type: Article

References (34)

1. Bousquet J, Khaltaev N, Cruz AA, Denburg J, Fokkens WJ, Togias A, et al. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) 2008 update (in collaboration with the World Health Organization, GA(2)LEN and AllerGen). Allergy 2008; 63 (Suppl 86): 8-160.
2. Toren K, Olin AC, Hellgren J, Hermansson BA,. Rhinitis increase the risk for adult-onset asthma - a Swedish population-based case-control study (MAP-study). Respir Med 2002; 96: 635-641.
3. Braback L, Hjern A, Rasmussen F,. Trends in asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema among Swedish conscripts from farming and non-farming environments. A nationwide study over three decades. Clin Exp Allergy 2004; 34: 38-43.
4. Lotvall J, Ekerljung L, Ronmark EP, Wennergren G, Linden A, Ronmark E, et al. West Sweden Asthma Study: prevalence trends over the last 18 years argue no recent increase in asthma. Respir Res 2009; 10: 94, E-pub.
5. Von Mutius E,. The environmental predictors of allergic disease. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000; 105 (1 Pt 1): 9-19.
6. Braun-Fahrlander C, Gassner M, Grize L, Neu U, Sennhauser FH, Varonier HS, et al. Prevalence of hay fever and allergic sensitization in farmer's children and their peers living in the same rural community. SCARPOL team. Swiss Study on Childhood Allergy and Respiratory Symptoms with Respect to Air Pollution. Clin Exp Allergy 1999; 29: 28-34.
7. Von Ehrenstein OS, Von Mutius E, Illi S, Baumann L, Bohm O, Von Kries R,. Reduced risk of hay fever and asthma among children of farmers. Clin Exp Allergy 2000; 30: 187-193.
8. Riedler J, Eder W, Oberfeld G, Schreuer M,. Austrian children living on a farm have less hay fever, asthma and allergic sensitization. Clin Exp Allergy 2000; 30: 194-200.
9. Radon K, Schulze A, Nowak D,. Inverse association between farm animal contact and respiratory allergies in adulthood: protection, underreporting or selection? Allergy 2006; 61: 443-446.
10. Douwes J, Travier N, Huang K, Cheng S, McKenzie J, Le Gros G, et al. Lifelong farm exposure may strongly reduce the risk of asthma in adults. Allergy 2007; 62: 1158-1165.
11. Leynaert B, Neukirch C, Jarvis D, Chinn S, Burney P, Neukirch F,. Does living on a farm during childhood protect against asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopy in adulthood? Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001; 164 (10 Pt 1): 1829-1834.
12. Portengen L, Preller L, Tielen M, Doekes G, Heederik D,. Endotoxin exposure and atopic sensitization in adult pig farmers. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2005; 115: 797-802.
13. Filipiak B, Heinrich J, Schafer T, Ring J, Wichmann HE,. Farming, rural lifestyle and atopy in adults from southern Germany - results from the MONICA/KORA study Augsburg. Clin Exp Allergy 2001; 31: 1829-1838.
14. Nicolaou N, Siddique N, Custovic A,. Allergic disease in urban and rural populations: increasing prevalence with increasing urbanization. Allergy 2005; 60: 1357-1360.
15. Lundback B, Nystrom L, Rosenhall L, Stjernberg N,. Obstructive lung disease in northern Sweden: respiratory symptoms assessed in a postal survey. Eur Respir J 1991; 4: 257-266.
16. Ekerljung L, Ronmark E, Larsson K, Sundblad BM, Bjerg A, Ahlstedt S, et al. No further increase of incidence of asthma: incidence, remission and relapse of adult asthma in Sweden. Respir Med 2008; 102: 1730-1736.
17. Lundback B,. Epidemiology of rhinitis and asthma. Clin Exp Allergy 1998; 28 (Suppl 2): 3-10.
18. Pallasaho P, Lundback B, Meren M, Kiviloog J, Loit HM, Larsson K, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for asthma and chronic bronchitis in the capitals Helsinki, Stockholm, and Tallinn. Respir Med 2002; 96: 759-769.
19. Ronmark E, Lundback B, Jonsson E, Jonsson AC, Lindstrom M, Sandstrom T,. Incidence of asthma in adults - report from the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden Study. Allergy 1997; 52: 1071-1078.
20. Bousquet J, Fokkens W, Burney P, Durham SR, Bachert C, Akdis CA, et al. Important research questions in allergy and related diseases: nonallergic rhinitis: a GA2LEN paper. Allergy 2008; 63: 842-853.
21. Population in Swedish localities 2005; Available from: [cited 02/06/09].
22. Rönmark EP, Ekerljung L, Lötvall J, Torã©n K, Rönmark E, Lundbäck B,. Large scale questionnaire survey on respiratory health in West Sweden: effects of late- and non-response. Respir Med 2009; 103: 1807-1815, Epub 2009 August 19.
23. Schaub B, Lauener R, Von Mutius E,. The many faces of the hygiene hypothesis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2006; 117: 969-977; quiz 978.
24. Braun-Fahrlander C, Riedler J, Herz U, Eder W, Waser M, Grize L, et al. Environmental exposure to endotoxin and its relation to asthma in school-age children. N Engl J Med 2002; 347: 869-877.
25. Stern DA, Riedler J, Nowak D, Braun-Fahrlander C, Swoboda I, Balic N, et al. Exposure to a farming environment has allergen-specific protective effects on TH2-dependent isotype switching in response to common inhalants. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007; 119: 351-358.
26. Yabuhara A, Macaubas C, Prescott SL, Venaille TJ, Holt BJ, Habre W, et al. TH2-polarized immunological memory to inhalant allergens in atopics is established during infancy and early childhood. Clin Exp Allergy 1997; 27: 1261-1269.
27. Strachan DP, Harkins LS, Johnston ID, Anderson HR,. Childhood antecedents of allergic sensitization in young British adults. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997; 99 (1 Pt 1): 6-12.
28. Goksor E, Amark M, Alm B, Gustafsson PM, Wennergren G,. The impact of pre- and post-natal smoke exposure on future asthma and bronchial hyper-responsiveness. Acta Paediatr 2007; 96: 1030-1035.
29. Heinrich J, Wichmann HE,. Traffic related pollutants in Europe and their effect on allergic disease. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2004; 4: 341-348.
30. Bartra J, Mullol J, Del Cuvillo A, Davila I, Ferrer M, Jauregui I, et al. Air pollution and allergens. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2007; 17 (Suppl 2): 3-8.
31. Linneberg A,. Hypothesis: urbanization and the allergy epidemic-a reverse case of immunotherapy? Allergy 2005; 60: 538-539.
32. Koskela HO, Happonen KK, Remes ST, Pekkanen J,. Effect of farming environment on sensitisation to allergens continues after childhood. Occup Environ Med 2005; 62: 607-611.
33. Remes ST, Iivanainen K, Koskela H, Pekkanen J,. Which factors explain the lower prevalence of atopy amongst farmers' children? Clin Exp Allergy 2003; 33: 427-434.
34. Dreborg S, Frew AJ,. Allergen Standardization and Skin Tests. Allergy 1993; 48 (Suppl 14): 49-54.