The German reunification offers a unique opportunity to study the impact of environmental
factors on the development of childhood respiratory and allergic disorders in ethnically similar …

Background In early life, the innate immune system can recognize both viable and nonviable
parts of microorganisms. Immune activation may direct the immune response, thus …

Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that children who grow up on traditional
farms are protected from asthma, hay fever and allergic sensitization. Early-life contact with …

Background A farming environment protects against development of asthma, hay fever, and
atopic sensitisation in children. We aimed to establish whether increased exposure to …

Background Susceptibility to asthma is influenced by genes and environment; implicated
genes may indicate pathways for therapeutic intervention. Genetic risk factors may be useful in …

Background In a prospective birth-cohort study, we assessed the relevance of mite and cat
allergen exposure for the development of childhood asthma up to age 7 years. Methods Of …

The term “precision medicine” has become very popular over recent years, fuelled by scientific
as well as political perspectives. Despite its popularity, its exact meaning, and how it is …

BACKGROUND: Endotoxin exposure has been shown to be associated with a decreased
prevalence of atopic sensitization and symptoms. Yet endotoxin represents only a part of the …

This review surveys the data on the increase in the prevalence of asthma in recent decades
and finds evidence of a plateau in many Western countries. The authors examine the …

Asthma is caused by a combination of poorly understood genetic and environmental factors
1 , 2 . We have systematically mapped the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs…