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The protective effect of childhood infections : The next challenge is to mimic safely this protection against allergy and asthma

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... On the other hand, suppression of the natural manifestation of childhood infections through indiscriminate vaccine or antibiotic use can favour the development of atopic and chronic symptoms at a later age. A controversial issue in recent years, the hygiene hypothesis has been the subject of many discussions and reviews [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] and a number of experimental trials. ...
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Seeking to understand the individual in his symptomatic totality has been an aim of homeopathy since its beginning. Throughout its history, homeopaths have been concerned that inadequate treatment of acute diseases in childhood may lead to future chronic diseases. Hahnemann cautioned that by treating acute diseases with allopathic medicine, with strong doses of drugs, or suppressing local symptoms of those diseases, would increase the risk of future chronic diseases. Burnett proposed the theory of vaccinosis and warned of chronic manifestations subsequent to smallpox vaccination. French homeopaths, seeking the physiopathological origin of chronic diseases, correlated it to the abnormal reaction of the reticuloendothelial system (RES). Through the study of experimental pathology, Maffei attributed symptomatic manifestations to the imbalance between the immunological phenomena of allergy and immunity. He termed the sensitizing and pathogenic effects of medications and vaccines, 'metallergy' and 'parallergy', respectively. The hygiene hypothesis is based on evidence that the imbalance of immunological response in childhood, specifically among the Th1 and Th2 lymphocyte subpopulations, is responsible for the development of some allergic and chronic diseases in the future. The deranging factor for the predisposition to future allergic response (Th2) is the obstruction of natural manifestations of infectious diseases (Th1 response) in young children. Homeopathic treatment aims to equilibrate vital reaction, corresponding to an integrative physiological response, it may regulate Th1/Th2 imbalance. However, clinical trials to support this hypothesis are lacking.
... 3 Environmental factors might be important determinants of these large differences in the expression of atopy and include differences in infectious disease exposures. 4 Several infectious agents, including measles and hepatitis A, have been associated with a protective role against allergic disease. 5 Geohelminths are probably the most prevalent and persistent of all childhood infections in many regions of the tropics and are estimated to infect approximately one third of the human population. ...
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Childhood infections might protect against the expression of atopy. Geohelminths are among the most prevalent infections of childhood and might contribute to the low prevalence of allergic disease reported from rural areas of the tropics. We sought to establish whether geohelminth infections protect against atopy and to explore whether this protection is dependent on infection chronicity. The risk of atopy (measured by means of allergen skin test reactivity) associated with active geohelminth infections (measured by means of the presence of eggs in stool samples) or with chronic geohelminth infections (measured by means of high levels [>/=3564 IU/mL] of total serum IgE or the presence of detectable anti-Ascaris lumbricoides IgG4 antibodies) was investigated in an analytic cross-sectional study conducted among school-age children attending rural schools in Pichincha Province in Ecuador. A total of 2865 children aged 5 to 19 years from 55 schools was examined. Active infection with any geohelminth and infections with A lumbricoides or Ancylostoma duodenale were associated with significant protective effects against allergen skin test reactivity. Children with the highest levels of total IgE or with anti-A lumbricoides IgG4 antibodies were protected against skin test reactivity also, and the protective effects of high IgE or anti-A lumbricoides IgG4 and or active geohelminth infections were statistically independent. Active infections with geohelminth parasites and the presence of serologic markers of chronic infections (high levels of total serum IgE or anti-A lumbricoides IgG4) are independent protective factors against allergen skin test reactivity among school-age children living in an endemic region of the rural tropics.
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Resumen: La búsqueda de la comprensión del individuo en su totalidad sintomática ha sido uno de los propósitos de la Homeopatía desde sus comienzos. A todo lo largo de su historia, los homeópatas se han interesado por la cuestión de que el tratamiento inadecuado de las enfermedades agudas en la infancia pudiera conducir a enfermedades crónicas futuras. Hahnemann advirtió que tratar las enfermedades agudas con medicina alopática, con fuertes dosis de fármacos, o bien suprimir los síntomas locales de tales enfermedades, incrementaría el riesgo de sufrir enfermedades crónicas futuras. Burnett propuso la teoría de la vacunosis y advirtió de las manifestaciones crónicas subsiguientes a la vacunación contra la viruela. Buscando el origen fisiopatológico de las enfermedades crónicas, homeópatas franceses las correlacionaron con la reacción anormal del sistema reticuloendotelial (RES, por sus siglas en inglés). Estudiando la patología experimental, Maffei atribuyó las manifestaciones sintomáticas al desequilibrio entre los fenómenos inmunológicos de la alergia y la inmunidad. Denominó " meta-alergia " y " para-alergia " a los efectos sensibilizantes y patogénicos de los medicamentos y vacunas, respectivamente. La hipótesis de la higiene se basa en evidencia de que el desequilibrio de la respuesta inmunológica en la niñez, específicamente entre las subpoblaciones de linfocitos Th1 y Th2, es responsable del desarrollo de ciertas enfermedades alérgicas y crónicas en el futuro. El factor perturbador para la predisposición a presentar una respuesta alérgica en el futuro (Th2) es la obstrucción de las manifestaciones naturales de las enfermeda-des infecciosas (respuesta de Th1) en los niños pequeños. El tratamiento homeopático busca equilibrar la reacción vital, correspondiente a una respuesta fisiológica in-tegrativa, con la posibilidad de regular el desequilibrio de Th1/Th2. Sin embargo, se carece de estudios clínicos que sustenten tal hipótesis. Abstract: Seeking to understand the individual in his symptomatic totality has been an aim of homeopathy since its beginning. Throughout its history, homeopaths have been concerned that inadequate treatment of acute diseases in childhood may lead to future chronic diseases. Hahnemann cautioned that by treating acute diseases with allopathic medicine, with strong doses of drugs, or suppressing local symptoms of those diseases, would increase the risk of future chronic diseases. Burnett proposed the theory of vaccinosis and warned of chronic manifestations subsequent to smallpox vaccination. French homeopaths, seeking the physiopathological origin of chronic diseases, correlated it to the abnormal reaction of the reticuloendothelial system (RES). Through the study of experimental pathology, Maffei attributed symptomatic manifestations to the imbalance between the immunological phenomena of allergy and immunity. He termed the sensitizing and pathogenic effects of medications and vaccines, ‘metallergy’ and ‘parallergy’, respectively. The hygiene hypothesis is based on evidence that the imbalance of immunological response in childhood, specifically among the Th1 and Th2 lymphocyte subpopulations, is responsible for the development of some allergic and chronic diseases in the future. The deranging factor for the predisposition to future allergic response (Th2) is the obstruction of natural manifestations of infectious diseases (Th1 response) in young children. Homeopathic treatment aims to equilibrate vital reaction, corresponding to an integrative physiological response, it may regulate Th1/Th2 imbalance. However, clinical trials to support this hypothesis are lacking. Homeopathy (2002) 91, 207–216.
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Many common viral infections induce a strong protective host response type 1. Complex questionnairy and laboratory investigation of the children population (age 9-12 year) from one region of the Czech Republic followed prevalence of the increased levels of IgE at the dependence on the frequency of the incidence of the herpes simplex infection and warts. In the group of the children with the presence of the worlds there are lower levels of IgE. We discuss the protective consequence of some virus infection in the regulation of the Th lymphocyte population and influence in the induction of the development of asthma and atopy.
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Chapters 2 to 4 describe three specific approaches to family studies, namely, intergenerational, sibling, and twin studies. All can be used to assist in distinguishing between genetic and environmental influences mainly within the classical nature-nurture paradigm. This chapter summarizes the three approaches, describes links across the methods, and draws on other examples to highlight some of the areas discussed and to explore other issues, such as birth order effects. All three chapters use the example of influences on birth weight to exemplify the use of their specific study types, intergenerational, sibling or twin, but they also consider outcomes occurring later in the life course. As in all branches of epidemiology a variety of methods in different contexts is required for us to see consistent patterns emerge. Conflicting evidence points to our lack of understanding and for alternative hypotheses to be explored.
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Seeking to understand the individual in his symptomatic totality has been the aim of homeopathy since its very beginning and even then there were warnings that inadequate treatment of acute diseases in childhood may lead to future chronic diseases. Since this conduct upsets the organism’s vital reaction, Hahnemann cautioned that by treating acute diseases with allopathic medicine, with strong doses of heroic drugs, or suppressing local symptoms of those diseases, there would be risk of developing future chronic diseases. At the end of the XIX century, Burnett came up with the theory of vaccinosis and warned of chronic manifestations subsequent to small pox vaccination. In the middle of the last century, French homeopaths, seeking the physiopathological origin of chronic diseases, correlated it to the abnormal reaction of the reticuloendothelial system (R.E.S.). Through the study of experimental pathology, Maffei attributed every symptomatic manifestation to the imbalance between the immunological phenomena of allergy and immunity. This broadened the view of illness as an altered reaction of the R.E.S. He placed the sensitizing and pathogenic effects of medications and vaccines in the phenomena of metalergy and paralergy, respectively. With the modern hygiene hypothesis, there is extensive evidence that the imbalance of immunological response in childhood, more specifically among the Th1 and Th2 lymphocyte subpopulations, is responsible for the development of some allergic and chronic diseases in the future. The deranging factor for the prevalence of future allergic response (Th2) is in the impediment of natural manifestations of infectious diseases (Th1 response) in pre-school children. As homeopathic treatment induces an equilibrated vital reaction, corresponding to an integrative physiological response (neuro-immuno-endocrin-metabolic), we believe it acts to regulate Th1/Th2 imbalance, as is proven by the cure of innumerable allergic and chronic diseases. However, clinical trials to support this hypothesis are lacking. RESUMO: Buscando compreender o indivíduo em sua totalidade sintomática, prerrogativa do modelo homeopático, desde os primórdios da Homeopatia existem advertências de que o tratamento inadequado de doenças agudas na infância propiciariam o surgimento de doenças crônicas futuras. Por desequilibrar a reação vital do organismo, Hahnemann alertava para o perigo de se tratarem doenças agudas com medicamentos alopáticos, com doses fortes de medicamentos heróicos ou suprimindo externamente os sintomas locais das mesmas, com o risco do desenvolvimento de doenças crônicas futuras. Burnett, ao final do século XIX, levanta a teoria das vacinoses, alertando para o surgimento de manifestações crônicas após a vacinação da varíola. Em meados do século passado, homeopatas franceses, buscando a origem fisiopatológica das doenças crônicas, correlacionam-na à reação anormal do Sistema reticuloendotelial (S.R.E.). Maffei, através do estudo da patologia experimental, atribui toda manifestação sintomática ao desbalanço entre os fenômenos imunológicos da alergia e da imunidade, ampliando a visão de enfermidade como reação alterada do S.R.E., situando nos fenômenos da metalergia e da paralergia os efeitos sensibilizantes e patogênicos dos medicamentos e das vacinas, respectivamente. Com a hipótese higiênica moderna, são inúmeras as evidências de que o desbalanço da resposta imunológica na infância, mais especificamente entre as subpopulações de linfócitos Th1 e Th2, é responsável pelo desenvolvimento de algumas doenças alérgicas e crônicas futuras, estando no impedimento da manifestação natural de doenças infecciosas (resposta Th1) na idade pré-escolar o fator desequilibrante do predomínio da resposta alérgica (Th2) futura. Em vista do tratamento homeopático induzir uma reação vital equilibrada, correspondente a uma resposta fisiológica integrativa (neuro-imuno-endócrino-metabólica), acreditamos que ela atue regulando o desbalanço Th1/Th2, comprovado pela cura de inúmeras doenças alérgicas e crônicas, faltando ensaios clínicos que comprovem esta hipótese.
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