Prenatal dietary exposure to chemicals and allergy or respiratory diseases in children in the EDEN mother-child cohort

Exposure to per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances and respiratory and skin effects in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite being previously banned due to long-term health effects, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remain widespread in the environment, accumulating in animals and humans. This systematic review and meta-analysis explores associations between exposure to PFAS and asthma onset, wheezing, atopic dermatitis, and eczema in children and adolescents while addressing exposure timing and sex-specific differences. After comprehensive search conducted in several databases, including risk of bias, study heterogeneity, and quality of evidence evaluation, the review included 28 observational studies, most with low risk of bias in all domains. PFAS exposure was not significantly associated with asthma onset (OR:1.03, CI:0.99;1.07), but revealed significantly lower association in the prenatal period (OR:0.97, CI:0.94;0.99), higher in the postnatal period (OR:1.20, CI:1.07;1.35), and no differences among sexes. PFAS exposure (mainly prenatal) was associated with 4 % significantly lower odds of wheezing (OR:0.96, CI:0.94;0.98), higher in girls (OR:0.94, CI:0.91;0.98) than in boys (OR:0.97, CI:0.94;1.00). No significant impact was noted on atopic dermatitis (OR:1.04, CI:0.94;1.16), while PFAS exposure was associated with 8 % significantly lower eczema odds (OR:0.92, CI:0.89;0.96). Evidence was insufficient to perform sensitivity analyses on atopic dermatitis and eczema. Additional research is needed on the impact of synergistic and co-exposure to other pollutants on children and adolescents' health.

Prenatal exposure to pesticide mixtures and the placental transcriptome: Insights from trimester-specific, sex-specific and metabolite-scaled analyses in the SAWASDEE cohort

We investigated the effect of exposure to pesticide mixtures during pregnancy on the placental transcriptome, to link these exposures and placental functions. The Study of Asian Women and their Offspring's Development and Environmental Exposures (SAWASDEE) enrolled pregnant farmworkers from Thailand (n = 248), who were primarily exposed to organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid pesticides. We measured maternal urinary levels of six non-specific OP metabolites expressed as three summary measures (dimethylalkylphosphates (DMAP), diethylalkylphosphates (DEAP), and dialkylphosphates (DAP) and three pyrethroid metabolites (3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), cis- and trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid (cis-DCCA, trans-DCCA) during early, middle, and late pregnancy, and adjusted for urine dilution using creatinine. RNA-sequencing was used to profile the placental transcriptome from which 21 co-expression network modules were identified by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis. Quantile g-computation analysis identified a positive mixture exposure effect on the E2f Target Module (β = 0.013 per SD, p = 0.012) and a negative mixture exposure effect (β = -0.016 per SD, p = 0.008) on the Myogenesis Module. The pesticide metabolites driving the associations differed for each module on each module varied, highlighting differential susceptibilities within the placental transcriptome to various pesticides. The Myogenesis Module exhibited a consistently significant negative association in both the second trimester (β = -0.013 per SD, p = 0.015) and the third trimester (β = -0.012 per SD, p = 0.028). When stratifying by infant sex, the mixture exhibited a significant negative effect (β = -0.018 per SD, P = 0.016) on the Myogenesis Module only in females. Other modules, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, though not demonstrating an overall mixture effect, did demonstrate differential impacts of the mixture by sex. These findings underscore the importance of considering the prenatal environment more holistically, understanding the placenta's susceptibility to contaminants, and incorporating sex-specific analyses to understand differential impacts.

Dietary exposure to mixtures of chemicals in the first year of life and allergic and respiratory diseases up to 8 years in the French EDEN mother-child cohort

Exposure to environmental chemicals has been associated with higher risk of childhood allergies. This study aimed to examine the association between infant's dietary exposure to mixtures of chemicals and allergic and respiratory multimorbidity in childhood. Dietary exposures were assessed at 8 and 12 months in 724 and 745 children of the EDEN cohort. Allergic and respiratory multimorbidity clusters were identified using latent class analyses. Associations between dietary exposure to mixtures of chemicals and allergic clusters were assessed by adjusted multinomial logistic regressions. At 8 months, higher exposure to a mixture of furans, trace elements, dioxins and PAHs was positively associated with the "asthma only" cluster, while moderate exposure to a mixture of PAHs, pesticides, PCBs and acrylamide was negatively associated with this cluster. A mixture of PCBs and BFRs was positively associated with the "multi-morbidity" cluster. Exposure to a mixture of pesticides and trace elements was positively associated with the "allergy without asthma" cluster. At 12-months, higher exposure to a mixture of trace elements and pesticides was positively associated with "multi-morbidity" cluster. The differences in findings between the two ages suggest the need for further studies to explore this critical window of chemical exposure and its impact on children's health.

Associations between the prevalence of asthma and dietary exposure to food contaminants in children: CHASER study

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a common, multifactorial chronic disease with a major impact on children and adolescents. Exposure to food contaminants is one of the contributing factors to asthma. This study aims to evaluate the intake and exposure of different contaminants and explore their association with childhood asthma.

METHODS

The Childhood Asthma and Environment Research study evaluated Italian children aged 5-14 years, divided into control and asthma case groups. Dietary habits were recorded, and exposure to 11 food contaminants was estimated with the CONT11 database. The study included 428 children, 264 with asthma and 164 without.

RESULTS

The findings of this study were consistent with those reported in other studies, indicating that exposure to nitrates and acrylamide was significantly higher in asthmatic children. The results suggest that exposure to certain contaminants could have a more pronounced effect on asthmatic children.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrates the importance of tools such as CONT11 in assessing food safety. Furthermore, it reinforces the need to prevent and reduce exposure to food contaminants to minimize health risks.

Non-dietary exposure to phthalates in primary school children: Risk and correlation with anthropometric indices, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors of increasing concern for human health; however, previous studies have only assessed the association between internal exposure and human health. We aimed to assess the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of non-dietary exposure to phthalates in indoor environments among primary school children and their correlations with health indicators. A study involving 54 children was conducted in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. Questionnaires and health examinations were conducted, dust in hard-to-clean corners of students' classrooms and homes was collected, and airborne phthalates in the middle of classrooms and family living rooms were sampled. The gas-phase phthalate concentrations, individual exposure, and non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were calculated. Associations were estimated using linear mixed models. The findings revealed that phthalates posed a non-carcinogenic risk to 7.4 % of the children and a moderate carcinogenic risk to 27.8 % of the children, with higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to girls than to boys. Five phthalates were negatively correlated with body mass index, dimethyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate (DEP) were significantly correlated with waist circumference, and di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP) was negatively correlated with hip circumference. DiBP, di-n-butyl phthalate, and DEP, were significantly correlated with cardiovascular disease, DEP and di (2-n-butoxyethyl) phthalate were correlated with decreased lung function, and di-n-octyl phthalate influenced airway inflammation. The findings indicated that phthalate exposure may negatively impact children's health, thereby warranting further comprehensive research on the health effects of these chemicals.

Maternal influences on offspring food allergy

The prevalence of allergies has been globally escalating. While allergies could appear at any age, they often develop in early life. However, the significant knowledge gap in the field is the mechanisms by which allergies affect certain people but not others. Investigating early factors and events in neonatal life that have a lasting impact on determining the susceptibilities of children to develop allergies is a significant area of the investigation as it promotes the understanding of neonatal immune system that mediates tolerance versus allergies. This review focuses on the research over the recent 10 years regarding the potential maternal factors that influence offspring allergies with a view to food allergy, a potentially life-threatening cause of anaphylaxis. The role of breast milk, maternal diet, maternal antibodies, and microbiota that have been suggested as key maternal factors regulating offspring allergies are discussed here. We also suggest future research area to expand our knowledge of maternal-offspring interactions on the pathogenesis of food allergy.

Dietary Polyphenols, Plant Metabolites, and Allergic Disorders: A Comprehensive Review

Given the ongoing rise in the occurrence of allergic disorders, alterations in dietary patterns have been proposed as a possible factor contributing to the emergence and progression of these conditions. Currently, there is a significant focus on the development of dietary therapies that utilize natural compounds possessing anti-allergy properties. Dietary polyphenols and plant metabolites have been intensively researched due to their well-documented anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory characteristics, making them one of the most prominent natural bioactive chemicals. This study seeks to discuss the in-depth mechanisms by which these molecules may exert anti-allergic effects, namely through their capacity to diminish the allergenicity of proteins, modulate immune responses, and modify the composition of the gut microbiota. However, further investigation is required to fully understand these effects. This paper examines the existing evidence from experimental and clinical studies that supports the idea that different polyphenols, such as catechins, resveratrol, curcumin, quercetin, and others, can reduce allergic inflammation, relieve symptoms of food allergy, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis, and prevent the progression of the allergic immune response. In summary, dietary polyphenols and plant metabolites possess significant anti-allergic properties and can be utilized for developing both preventative and therapeutic strategies for targeting allergic conditions. The paper also discusses the constraints in investigating and broad usage of polyphenols, as well as potential avenues for future research.

Prenatal dietary exposure to mixtures of chemicals is associated with allergy or respiratory diseases in children in the ELFE nationwide cohort

INTRODUCTION

Prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals may be associated with allergies later in life. We aimed to examine the association between prenatal dietary exposure to mixtures of chemicals and allergic or respiratory diseases up to age 5.5 y.

METHODS

We included 11,638 mother-child pairs from the French "Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l'Enfance" (ELFE) cohort. Maternal dietary exposure during pregnancy to eight mixtures of chemicals was previously assessed. Allergic and respiratory diseases (eczema, food allergy, wheezing and asthma) were reported by parents between birth and age 5.5 years. Associations were evaluated with adjusted logistic regressions. Results are expressed as odds ratio (OR[95%CI]) for a variation of one SD increase in mixture pattern.

RESULTS

Maternal dietary exposure to a mixture composed mainly of trace elements, furans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was positively associated with the risk of eczema (1.10 [1.05; 1.15]), this association was consistent across sensitivity analyses. Dietary exposure to one mixture of pesticides was positively associated with the risk of food allergy (1.10 [1.02; 1.18]), whereas the exposure to another mixture of pesticides was positively but slightly related to the risk of wheezing (1.05 [1.01; 1.08]). This last association was not found in all sensitivity analyses. Dietary exposure to a mixture composed by perfluoroalkyl acids, PAHs and trace elements was negatively associated with the risk of asthma (0.89 [0.80; 0.99]), this association was consistent across sensitivity analyses, except the complete-case analysis.

CONCLUSION

Whereas few individual chemicals were related to the risk of allergic and respiratory diseases, some consistent associations were found between prenatal dietary exposure to some mixtures of chemicals and the risk of allergic or respiratory diseases. The positive association between trace elements, furans and PAHs and the risk of eczema, and that between pesticides mixtures and food allergy need to be confirmed in other studies. Conversely, the negative association between perfluoroalkyl acids, PAHs and trace elements and the risk of asthma need to be further explored.

Dietary Polyphenols-Natural Bioactive Compounds with Potential for Preventing and Treating Some Allergic Conditions

In light of the constantly increasing prevalence of allergic diseases, changes in dietary patterns have been suggested as a plausible environmental explanation for the development and progression of these diseases. Nowadays, much attention has been paid to the development of dietary interventions using natural substances with anti-allergy activities. In this respect, dietary polyphenols have been studied extensively as one of the most prominent natural bioactive compounds with well-documented anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. This review aims to discuss the mechanisms underlying the potential anti-allergic actions of polyphenols related to their ability to reduce protein allergenicity, regulate immune response, and gut microbiome modification; however, these issues need to be elucidated in detail. This paper reviews the current evidence from experimental and clinical studies confirming that various polyphenols such as quercetin, curcumin, resveratrol, catechins, and many others could attenuate allergic inflammation, alleviate the symptoms of food allergy, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, and prevent the development of allergic immune response. Conclusively, dietary polyphenols are endowed with great anti-allergic potential and therefore could be used either for preventive approaches or therapeutic interventions in relation to allergic diseases. Limitations in studying and widespread use of polyphenols as well as future research directions are also discussed.