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Title: Chlorinated pool attendance, airway epithelium defects and the risks of allergic diseases in adolescents: Interrelationships revealed by circulating biomarkers

Abstract

It has been suggested that allergic diseases might be epithelial disorders driven by various environmental stressors but the epidemiological evidence supporting this concept is limited. In a cross-sectional study of 835 school adolescents (365 boys; mean age, 15.5 yr), we measured the serum concentrations of Club cell protein (CC16), surfactant-associated protein D (SP-D) and of total and aeroallergen-specific IgE. We used the serum CC16/SP-D concentration ratio as an index integrating changes in the permeability (SP-D) and secretory function (CC16) of the airway epithelium. In both sexes, early swimming in chlorinated pools emerged as the most consistent and strongest predictor of low CC16 and CC16/SP-D ratio in serum. Among girls, a low CC16/SP-D ratio was associated with increased odds (lowest vs. highest tertile) for pet sensitization (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.19–8.22) and for hay fever in subjects sensitized to pollen (OR 4.12, 95% CI 1.28–14.4). Among boys, a low CC16/SP-D ratio was associated with increased odds for house-dust mite (HDM) sensitization (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.11–3.73), for allergic rhinitis in subjects sensitized to HDM (OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.22–11.1) and for asthma in subjects sensitized to any aeroallergen (OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.17–11.0), HDM (OR 5.20, 95% CI 1.40–24.2) or pollenmore » (OR 5.82, 95% CI 1.51–27.4). Odds for allergic sensitization or rhinitis also increased with increasing SP-D or decreasing CC16 in serum. Our findings support the hypothesis linking the development of allergic diseases to epithelial barrier defects due to host factors or environmental stressors such as early swimming in chlorinated pools. - Highlights: • We conducted a cross-sectional study of 835 school adolescents. • The airway epithelium integrity was evaluated by measuring serum pneumoproteins. • The risk of allergic diseases was associated with a defective airway epithelium. • Childhood swimming in chlorinated pools can cause persistent epithelial alterations.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22483299
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Environmental Research
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 140; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2015 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0013-9351
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ADOLESCENTS; ASTHMA; BIOLOGICAL MARKERS; CONCENTRATION RATIO; EPITHELIUM; IMMUNOGLOBULINS; MITES; POLLEN; POSITRON COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

Citation Formats

Bernard, Alfred, Nickmilder, Marc, and Dumont, Xavier. Chlorinated pool attendance, airway epithelium defects and the risks of allergic diseases in adolescents: Interrelationships revealed by circulating biomarkers. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/J.ENVRES.2015.03.034.
Bernard, Alfred, Nickmilder, Marc, & Dumont, Xavier. Chlorinated pool attendance, airway epithelium defects and the risks of allergic diseases in adolescents: Interrelationships revealed by circulating biomarkers. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENVRES.2015.03.034
Bernard, Alfred, Nickmilder, Marc, and Dumont, Xavier. 2015. "Chlorinated pool attendance, airway epithelium defects and the risks of allergic diseases in adolescents: Interrelationships revealed by circulating biomarkers". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENVRES.2015.03.034.
@article{osti_22483299,
title = {Chlorinated pool attendance, airway epithelium defects and the risks of allergic diseases in adolescents: Interrelationships revealed by circulating biomarkers},
author = {Bernard, Alfred and Nickmilder, Marc and Dumont, Xavier},
abstractNote = {It has been suggested that allergic diseases might be epithelial disorders driven by various environmental stressors but the epidemiological evidence supporting this concept is limited. In a cross-sectional study of 835 school adolescents (365 boys; mean age, 15.5 yr), we measured the serum concentrations of Club cell protein (CC16), surfactant-associated protein D (SP-D) and of total and aeroallergen-specific IgE. We used the serum CC16/SP-D concentration ratio as an index integrating changes in the permeability (SP-D) and secretory function (CC16) of the airway epithelium. In both sexes, early swimming in chlorinated pools emerged as the most consistent and strongest predictor of low CC16 and CC16/SP-D ratio in serum. Among girls, a low CC16/SP-D ratio was associated with increased odds (lowest vs. highest tertile) for pet sensitization (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.19–8.22) and for hay fever in subjects sensitized to pollen (OR 4.12, 95% CI 1.28–14.4). Among boys, a low CC16/SP-D ratio was associated with increased odds for house-dust mite (HDM) sensitization (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.11–3.73), for allergic rhinitis in subjects sensitized to HDM (OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.22–11.1) and for asthma in subjects sensitized to any aeroallergen (OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.17–11.0), HDM (OR 5.20, 95% CI 1.40–24.2) or pollen (OR 5.82, 95% CI 1.51–27.4). Odds for allergic sensitization or rhinitis also increased with increasing SP-D or decreasing CC16 in serum. Our findings support the hypothesis linking the development of allergic diseases to epithelial barrier defects due to host factors or environmental stressors such as early swimming in chlorinated pools. - Highlights: • We conducted a cross-sectional study of 835 school adolescents. • The airway epithelium integrity was evaluated by measuring serum pneumoproteins. • The risk of allergic diseases was associated with a defective airway epithelium. • Childhood swimming in chlorinated pools can cause persistent epithelial alterations.},
doi = {10.1016/J.ENVRES.2015.03.034},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22483299}, journal = {Environmental Research},
issn = {0013-9351},
number = ,
volume = 140,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}