Expression of genes related to anti-inflammatory pathways are modified among farmers' children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The hygiene hypothesis states that children exposed to higher loads of microbes such as farmers' children suffer less from allergies later in life. Several immunological mechanisms underpinning the hygiene hypothesis have been proposed such as a shift in T helper cell balance, T regulatory cell activity, or immune regulatory mechanisms induced by the innate immunity.

Objective

To investigate whether the proposed immunological mechanisms for the hygiene hypotheses are found in farmers' children.

Methods

We assessed gene expression levels of 64 essential markers of the innate and adaptive immunity by quantitative real-time PCR in white blood cells in 316 Swiss children of the PARSIFAL study to compare farmers' to non-farmers' expressions and to associate them

SUBMITTER: Frei R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3946278 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature