Rural and urban exposures shape early life immune development in South African children with atopic dermatitis and nonallergic children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Immunological traits and functions have been consistently associated with environmental exposures and are thought to shape allergic disease susceptibility and protection. In particular, specific exposures in early life may have more significant effects on the developing immune system, with potentially long-term impacts.

Methods

We performed RNA-Seq on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 150 children with atopic dermatitis and healthy nonallergic children in rural and urban settings from the same ethnolinguistic AmaXhosa background in South Africa. We measured environmental exposures using questionnaires.

Results

A distinct PBMC gene expression pattern was observed in those children with atopic dermatitis (132 differentially expressed genes [DEGs

SUBMITTER: Lunjani N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10952395 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature