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. 2017 Feb 14;8(7):10858-10870.
doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.14565.

A prospective birth cohort study of different risk factors for development of allergic diseases in offspring of non-atopic parents

Ming-Tsung Lee  1 , Chih-Chiang Wu  2   3 , Chia-Yu Ou  3 , Jen-Chieh Chang  4 , Chieh-An Liu  3 , Chih-Lu Wang  3 , Hau Chuang  4   5 , Ho-Chang Kuo  4   5 , Te-Yao Hsu  6   5 , Chie-Pein Chen  7 , Kuender D Yang  2   7   8   9
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A prospective birth cohort study of different risk factors for development of allergic diseases in offspring of non-atopic parents

Ming-Tsung Lee et al. Oncotarget. .

Abstract

Background: Allergic diseases are thought to be inherited. Prevalence of allergic diseases has, however, increased dramatically in last decades, suggesting environmental causes for the development of allergic diseases.

Objective: We studied risk factors associated with the development of atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma (AS) in children of non-atopic parents in a subtropical country.

Methods: In a birth cohort of 1,497 newborns, parents were prenatally enrolled and validated for allergic diseases by questionnaire, physician-verified and total or specific Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels; 1,236 and 756 children, respectively, completed their 3-year and 6-year follow-up. Clinical examination, questionnaire, and blood samples for total and specific IgE of the children were collected at each follow-up visit.

Results: Prevalence of AD, AR and AS was, respectively, 8.2%, 30.8% and 12.4% in children of non-atopic parents. Prevalence of AR (p<.001) and AS (p=.018) was significantly higher in children of parents who were both atopic. A combination of Cesarean section (C/S) and breastfeeding for more than 1 month showed the highest risk for AD (OR=3.111, p=.006). Infants living in homes with curtains and no air filters had the highest risk for AR (OR=2.647, p<.001), and male infants of non-atopic parents living in homes without air filters had the highest risk for AS (OR=1.930, p=.039).

Conclusions: Breastfeeding and C/S affect development of AD. Gender, use of curtains and/or air filters affect AR and AS, suggesting that control of the perinatal environment is necessary for the prevention of atopic diseases in children of non-atopic parents.

Keywords: allergic rhinitis; asthma; atopic dermatitis; birth cohort; perinatal environment.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

KD Yang received a moderatorship on the Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) forum at Chung-Li, Taiwan on April 16, 2016.

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