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Gabriele Bolte

Publications and source records attributed to Gabriele Bolte.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Socioeconomic factors in EU-funded studies of children's environmental health.

We performed a survey on socioeconomic factors in 27 studies of children's environmental health funded by EU FP4 and FP5. Parental education was the most common measure (74%). Socioeconomic factors were predominantly considered as confounder (74%) and less often as effect modifier (33%) or independent variable (37%). The awareness of the need to study the impact of socioeconomic factors further seems to have increased in recent years.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Margarine consumption, asthma, and allergy in young adults: results of the German National Health Survey 1998.

PURPOSE: To examine whether frequent intake of margarine is associated with allergy prevalence in adults using data of a representative national health survey. METHODS: Data on 7124 subjects aged 18 to 79 years were obtained from the German National Health Survey 1998. Confounder-adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by multiple logistic regression, using the frequency of intake of low-fat butter, regular and low-fat margarine as explanatory variable in relation to frequent intake of regular butter as reference group. RESULTS: Frequent intake of margarine of any kind was positively associated with current asthma during the past 12 months in young adults aged 18 to 29 years (aOR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.03-5.26). In subgroup analysis, the positive association was confined to frequent intake of low-fat margarine (4.51; 1.78-11.43) or the combination of low-fat margarine and low-fat butter (4.79; 1.84-12.44). Consumption of margarine of any kind was not related to hay fever, atopic dermatitis, and atopic sensitization to inhalant allergens. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent intake of margarine rich in n-6 PUFA is not consistently associated with allergic diseases in adults. Other constituents of low-fat margarine or certain dietary habits and lifestyle factors, characterized by use of low-fat margarine, may be related to current asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Association of fatty acids in serum phospholipids with hay fever, specific and total immunoglobulin E.

The dietary intake of certain fatty acids might contribute to the development of allergic diseases such as hay fever and asthma. We investigated the association between the concentrations of fifteen fatty acids in serum phospholipids, as a marker of dietary intake and metabolism, and hay fever, allergic sensitisation and total IgE in adults. Data from a population-based cross-sectional study on respiratory health, including the measurement of fatty acids in the serum phospholipids of 740 adults between 20 and 64 years of age, were analysed. Positive associations were found between hay fever and arachidonic acid, and allergic sensitisation and oleic acid. No other fatty acids showed any association with hay fever or allergic sensitisation. Elevated levels of total IgE were not related to fatty acids. Concentrations of long-chain n-3 fatty acids, trans fatty acids or saturated fatty acids in serum phospholipids were not associated with allergic diseases in adults in this study. The present result on the association between hay fever and arachidonic acid is consistent with current hypotheses but warrants further research.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Mode of delivery and development of atopic disease during the first 2 years of life.

It has been hypothesized that cesarean delivery might have an impact on the development of atopic diseases because of its gut flora modulating properties. In the present study, we analysed the association between cesarean delivery and atopic diseases using data of 2500 infants enrolled in the LISA-Study, a German prospective multicenter birth cohort study. Data on symptoms and physician-diagnosed atopic diseases were gathered by questionnaires shortly after birth and at infant's age 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. In addition, sensitization to common food and inhalant allergens was assessed by measuring specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) using the CAP-RAST FEIA method at the age of 2 yr. Confounder-adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by multiple logistic regression. We found a positive association between cesarean delivery and occurrence of at least one episode of wheezing [aOR 1.31 (95% CI 1.02-1.68)] and of recurrent wheezing [1.41 (1.02-1.96)] during the first 2 yr of life. Furthermore, effect estimates for allergic sensitization defined as at least one specific IgE >/=0.70 kU/l against any allergen [1.48 (0.98-2.24)], against food allergens [1.64 (1.03-2.63)], and against inhalant allergens [1.75 (0.98-3.12)] were increased. Symptoms of atopic dermatitis [1.21 (0.92-1.59)], physician-diagnosed atopic dermatitis [1.04 (0.79-1.39)], and symptoms of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis [1.40 (0.80-2.44)] were only marginally increased in children delivered by cesarean section. In conclusion, our results suggest that cesarean delivery may be an additional risk factor for wheezing and allergic sensitization at least to food allergens up to the age of 2 yr. This should be considered when cesarean section is done for other than medical reasons.

Cesarean Section↗
PubMed2002

Different effects of endotoxin versus mite and cat allergen exposure on T-cell differentiation in infants.

BACKGROUND: Early exposure to bacterial endotoxin has been proposed to protect against allergy development in children. Whether endotoxin is able to direct T-cell differentiation into a predominance of type 1 immunity is still unresolved. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the effects of endotoxin and mite and cat allergens on T-cell differentiation in infants. METHODS: In a random population sample of 135 2-year-old children of an ongoing birth-cohort study, peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets were defined by the expression of the chemokine receptors CCR5 and CCR3 as surrogate markers for type 1 and type 2 T cells, respectively. Endotoxin and mite and cat allergens were measured in house dust collected from the mother's mattress at the child's age of 3 months to assess early exposure. RESULTS: In the CD4+ T-cell subset, endotoxin levels were positively associated with high proportions of type 1 CCR5+ cells (odds ratio for fourth exposure quartile [OR(Q4)], 7.68; 95% CI, 1.35-43.75), whereas cat allergen levels were associated with increased proportions of type 2 CCR3+ cells (OR(Q4), 4.07; 95% CI, 1.05-15.85). In contrast to endotoxin, allergen levels were associated with CD8+ T cells, showing an inverse relationship between mite allergen concentrations and high proportions of CCR5+ or CCR3+ cells (CCR5+ cells: OR(Q4), 0.14; 95% CI, 0.03-0.74; CCR3+ cells: OR(Q4), 0.16; 95% CI, 0.03-0.89) and a positive association of cat allergen levels with increased proportions of CCR5+ cells (OR(Q4), 9.24, 95% CI, 1.61-53.10), as well as CCR3+ cells (OR(Q3), 6.64; 95% CI, 1.21-36.51). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that endotoxin has the potential to promote the development of type 1 CD4+ T cells, whereas mite and cat allergens primarily modify the proportion of CD8+ cells of both types.

Allergens↗