Article
Behavioral Sciences
Kimberly Berger, Michelle Pearl, Marty Kharrazi, Ying Li, Josephine DeGuzman, Jianwen She, Paramjit Behniwal, Kristen Lyall, Gayle Windham
Summary: This study found that smoking or exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy does not increase the risk of having children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is the first study to measure a chemical in the mother's blood during pregnancy to identify exposure to tobacco smoke.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Marta Duleba, Barbara Kozakiewicz
Summary: In Poland, despite a decrease in the number of pregnant smokers, a significant proportion of pregnant women still smoke, are exposed to tobacco smoke, or both smoke and drink alcohol. The study found that the frequency of smoking and exposure to smoke significantly influenced the cotinine levels in the blood of both mothers and their babies. Pregnant smokers were more likely to be in the presence of smokers, especially those smoking over 20 cigarettes per day, resulting in a significant increase of cotinine in the umbilical cord blood of newborns.
POSTEPY HIGIENY I MEDYCYNY DOSWIADCZALNEJ
(2022)
Article
Allergy
Yi-Wen Wang, Kuo-Wei Yeh, Jing-Long Huang, Kuan-Wen Su, Ming-Han Tsai, Man-Chin Hua, Sui-Ling Liao, Shen-Hao Lai, Chih-Yung Chiu
Summary: This study found that family smoking exposure is closely associated with food allergies in infancy and the production of IgE in later childhood. This could potentially increase the susceptibility of developing infantile eczema and subsequent childhood airway allergies.
WORLD ALLERGY ORGANIZATION JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Allergy
Birgit Pfaller, Sarah Bendien, Agnes Ditisheim, Thomas Eiwegger
Summary: Managing allergic diseases during pregnancy presents challenges and potential risks for mother and child, especially with limited safety data on anti-allergic drugs during pregnancy.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Keiko Yamasaki, Naomi Mitsuda, J-P Naw Awn, Masamitsu Eitoku, Nagamasa Maeda, Mikiya Fujieda, Narufumi Suganuma
Summary: This study found a positive correlation between maternal urinary cotinine concentration and placental weight and the ratio of placental weight to birth weight. After reaching a certain concentration, placental weight decreased in male offspring while it plateaued in female offspring. Active smoking during pregnancy significantly increased both placental weight and placental weight to birth weight ratio.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Ines Silva, Alexandra Camelo, Joana Madureira, Ana Teresa Reis, Ana Paula Machado, Joao Paulo Teixeira, Carla Costa
Summary: By surveying and biochemically validating 595 pregnant women, it was found that self-reported maternal smoking status was highly consistent with biochemical validation based on urinary cotinine concentrations, but the consistency for passive smoking exposure was lower. The study indicated that maternal active smoking in the third trimester was significantly associated with decreased birth weight, length, and head circumference, while maternal ETS exposure was only minimally associated with increased birth weight.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Rebecca L. Vanders, Henry M. Gomez, Alan C. Hsu, Katie Daly, Peter A. B. Wark, Jay C. Horvat, Philip M. Hansbro
Summary: Influenza A virus (IAV) infection during pregnancy, especially with asthma, leads to increased morbidity for both mother and baby. This study shows that pregnant mice with allergic airway disease (AAD) have impaired global antiviral and antimicrobial responses, increased lung inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) during IAV infection. Targeting specific beta-defensins or miRNAs may be a potential future treatment for IAV infection during pregnancy.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LUNG CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Sjoerd T. T. Schetters, Martijn J. Schuijs
Summary: Eosinophils play multiple roles in immune responses, including defense against parasites, promoting allergic inflammation, and regulatory functions. They possess both homeostatic and pro-resolving capacity, but their function is influenced by time and space.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Astrid L. Beck, Cecilie S. Uldbjerg, Youn-Hee Lim, Brent A. Coull, Karina M. Sorensen, Magdalena M. Utko, Bartlomiej Wilkowski, Panu Rantakokko, Marie Bengtsson, Christian Lindh, Jorgen H. Petersen, Niels E. Skakkebaek, Russ Hauser, Anders Juul, Elvira V. Brauner
Summary: Maternal smoking during pregnancy does not appear to be significantly associated with the risk of testicular germ cell cancer (TGCC) in offspring, based on a study using cotinine measurements as a biomarker for tobacco exposure. The study found comparable cotinine levels in maternal serum and amniotic fluid, but no significant association between active tobacco use and TGCC risk. However, different risks were observed for different types of TGCC, although they were not statistically significant.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Agnieszka Kaczynska, Martyna Klosinska, Kamil Janeczek, Michal Zarobkiewicz, Andrzej Emeryk
Summary: This article introduces the immunomodulatory effects of bacterial lysates (BLs) on allergic disorders, discusses the correlation between local, innate, and adaptive immune responses, and reviews the outcomes of BLs in the prevention and treatment of atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Substance Abuse
Bhavandeep Slaich, Ravinder Claire, Joanne Emery, Sarah Lewis, Sue Cooper, Ross Thomson, Lucy Phillips, Darren Kinahan-Goodwin, Felix Naughton, Lisa McDaid, Miranda Clark, Anne Dickinson, Tim Coleman
Summary: Pregnant women who smoke and are offered dual nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) show no change in cotinine exposure levels but report smoking fewer cigarettes, as validated by reductions in exhaled carbon monoxide concentrations.
Article
Allergy
Hsin-Ju Lee, Hui-Ju Tsai, Hsin-Yi Huang, Chun-Chun Gau, Chia-Hua Ho, Jing-Long Huang, Tsung-Chieh Yao
Summary: This study found a positive correlation between cord blood IgE levels and allergic sensitization, FeNO elevation, and asthma in Asian schoolchildren. Cord blood IgE could be a useful indicator for identifying newborns at risk for subsequent allergic sensitization and allergic airway inflammation.
PEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Soyon Yoon, Seokcheon Song, Jae Woo Shin, Sini Kang, Hye Young Kim, Hyun Ju You
Summary: The study suggests that oral administration of the Korean traditional herbal remedy, Pyunkang-tang, effectively reduced eosinophil infiltration and decreased expression of IL-13 and IL-5 in a mouse model of allergic asthma. This could potentially lead to novel therapies for the treatment of allergic asthma.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jehan Hamadneh, Shereen Hamadneh
Summary: This study compared pregnant women's exposure and perceptions of second-hand smoke (SHS) before and after an intervention. The intervention included motivation, communication, education, and counseling through various media channels. Findings showed that there was a significant increase in knowledge and awareness regarding SHS and its effects on pregnancy outcomes after the intervention. Additionally, the percentage of pregnant women who supported a comprehensive smoking policy and those who avoided second-hand smoke increased after the intervention. Cotinine levels also decreased in the majority of cases after the intervention.
Article
Allergy
Anna V. Wiese, Jannis Duhn, Rabia Uelkue Korkmaz, Katharina M. Quell, Ibrahim Osman, Fanny Ender, Torsten Schroeder, Ian Lewkowich, Simon Hogan, Markus Huber-Lang, Franziska Gumprecht, Peter Koenig, Joerg Koehl, Yves Laumonnier
Summary: This study reveals the significant roles of C5aR1 in the trafficking and activation of inflammatory eosinophils, which have important implications for key aspects of allergic inflammation such as airway hyperresponsiveness, ILC2 cells, and T cell activation.