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Exposure to a farm environment is associated with T helper 1 and regulatory cytokines at age 4.5 years
Author(s) -
Kääriö H.,
Huttunen K.,
Karvonen A. M.,
Schaub B.,
Mutius E.,
Pekkanen J.,
Hirvonen M.R.,
Roponen M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
clinical and experimental allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.462
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2222
pISSN - 0954-7894
DOI - 10.1111/cea.12636
Subject(s) - immunology , medicine , allergy , hay fever , cytokine , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , immune system , lipopolysaccharide , tumor necrosis factor alpha , biology , biochemistry , in vitro
Summary Background Farm exposure has been shown to protect from childhood asthma and allergic diseases, but underlying immunological mechanisms are not clear yet. Objective To explore whether farming lifestyle determines cytokine profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMC s) of 4.5‐year‐old children ( n = 88) from the Finnish PASTURE birth cohort study. Methods We analysed regulatory ( IL ‐10, IL ‐2), T helper 1 (Th1)‐associated ( IL ‐12, IFN ‐γ), inflammatory ( IL ‐1β, TNF , CXCL 8) and Th2‐associated ( IL ‐13) cytokines in unstimulated PBMC s and after a short‐term (5 h) stimulation with lipopolysaccharide ( LPS ). Specific farm exposures (stables, hay barn, farm milk) at age 4 years were assessed from questionnaires. Results The unstimulated PBMC s of farm children produced more IL ‐10 ( GMR 1.22, P = 0.032), IL ‐12 ( GMR 1.24, P = 0.012) and IFN ‐γ ( GMR 1.24, P = 0.024) than those of non‐farm children. Also, specific farm exposures were associated with higher spontaneous production of cytokines. The number of specific farm exposures tended to be dose dependently associated with higher spontaneous production of IFN ‐γ (test for trends, P = 0.013) and lower LPS ‐induced production of TNF (test for trends, P = 0.025). Conclusion and Clinical Relevance Farming lifestyle seemed to be associated with increased spontaneous production of Th1 and regulatory cytokines. Decreased TNF responses to short‐term LPS stimulation in farm‐exposed children may imply tolerogenic immune mechanisms. These novel findings might contribute to the asthma and allergy protection in farm environment.