Share:
House dust protects against chronic diseases Recent study confirms hygiene hypothesis
It has been known for years that children who grow up on farms and have contact with stall dust are less likely to suffer from allergies. However, early contact with house dust also causes people less often to suffer from atopic diseases such as asthma or atopic dermatitis. This has now been confirmed again in a study.
House dust protects against allergies
The fact that life in the countryside protects many children from asthma has been proven in various scientific studies. According to health experts, this has to do with the fact that they come into contact with microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. But house dust also has a similar function; it protects city children from allergies. It also reduces the risk of atopic dermatitis and asthma. This has now been confirmed again in a study.
Children who grow up in the countryside are usually better protected from allergies and other diseases by the contact with germs. But also components in house dust fulfill this protective function. (Image: 2xSamara.com/fotolia.com) Do not overdo hygiene
While cleanliness can help maintain health, hysterical hygiene should be avoided as germs protect against allergies. As the Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ) reports on its website "kinderaerzte-im-netz.de", American scientists have shown that certain components in house dust can affect the risk of atopic dermatitis and other allergic diseases.
Comparison of two religious groups
The researchers around Michelle M. Stein of the University of Chicago compared in the investigation persons of two religious groupings. On the one hand people from an Indiana Amish community, on the other Hutterer from South Dakota. According to the figures, these two rural communities are remarkably similar both genetically and ecologically, with the difference that the Amish continue "traditional agriculture" in the family business, while the farms of the Hutterites are highly industrialized.
According to BVKJ, previous studies have found that the respective rates of atopic dermatitis, hay fever and asthma are much higher among the Hutterites than among the Amish people.
Influence of house dust on atopic diseases
The current study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at how often asthma and the clinical and immunological characteristics of atopic disease in children were detectable in both groups, and evaluated the extent to which house-dust reduces the risk of atopic disease. Asthma, hay fever, atopic dermatitis) increased.
It turned out that none of the 30 Amish children had asthma. However, six of the 30 Hutterer children were affected. The researchers also found that the Amish children had lower levels of allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E and eosinophils despite being exposed to similar levels of allergens. The dust samples showed differences in the bacterial profiles.
Certain ingredient in house dust crucial
According to the BVKJ, it was found that any ingredient in Amish house dust could reduce the risk of atopic disease or prevent allergic sensitization.
If the protective component could be detected in house dust, then this could - so the authors hope - be a way to prevent eczema, hay fever, asthma and other allergic diseases in advance. (Ad)