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Exposure and allergy-realated illness

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This is an interesting twist - maybe we need more exposure to germs!

NEW YORK, Feb 11 (Reuters Health) -- People exposed to food-contaminating

organisms such as H. pylori (the bacteria that cause ulcers) may be less

likely than others to develop asthma or hay fever, results of a new study

suggest.

The finding is the latest salvo in the debate over the " hygiene hypothesis, "

which says that the relatively recent drop in childhood infections due to

vaccinations and better hygiene is linked to the rise in allergy-related

illnesses, such as asthma.

In the new study, Italian researchers compared 240 male airforce cadets with

allergies to 240 allergy-free cadets.

The investigators found that those young men who had been heavily exposed to

organisms such as H. pylori, hepatitis A (a liver-infecting virus spread in

contaminated food and water), and toxoplasma gondii (a parasite transmitted

to humans via cat feces) had lower rates of allergy-related respiratory

conditions, such as asthma and hayfever. Overall, less than 1% of the men

who were exposed to 2 of the 3 organisms had asthma and about 7% had

hayfever. In comparison, 5% of those who had not been exposed to any of the

organisms had asthma and 16% had hayfever.

The findings suggest that these microbes may have some sort of protective

effect, according to the researchers led by Dr. Paolo Matricardi of the

Divisione Aerea Studi Ricerche e Sperimentazioni in Rome, Italy.

In contrast, the investigators found that exposure to any of six airborne

infectious agents -- such as measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox -- had

no impact on allergies.

To determine past exposure, the researchers tested the blood of the men for

the presence of antibodies to the bacteria and viruses, according to the

report in the February 12th issue of the British Medical Journal.

The authors note that further research is needed to verify their findings,

but " it is not inconceivable that we may soon use certain microbes or their

molecules to prevent atopy (allergies) without causing infectious disease. "

In a statement issued by the journal, Matricardi adds: " We must improve

hygiene to reduce the impact of infectious diseases, but at the same time we

must learn how to safely 'train' our immune system, especially during

infancy, in order to prevent allergy. "

British Medical Journal 2000;320:412-417.

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