Nasal epithelium biomarkers in children and adolescents : associations with allergic sensitization and environmental stressors
(2013)
Files
Details
- Authors
- Supervisors
- Bernard, Alfred
- Abstract
- In this project we have used biomarkers to investigate the effects of environmental stressors, to which we are daily exposed, on the nasal epithelium integrity and explored the possible associations between nasal epithelium changes and the development of allergic sensitization. The integrity of the nasal epithelium of children was assessed non-invasively by measuring two proteins in nasal lavage fluid (NALF). The first protein is albumin, a plasma-derived albumin that is a well-established biomarker of epithelial permeability in respiratory tract-derived fluids, including the NALF. The second protein is the 16 kDa Clara cell protein, an anti-inflammatory protein secreted in large amounts by the nasal epithelium, which increasingly appears to play a central role in the development of asthma and allergic diseases. We conducted two cross-sectional studies on pediatric populations: the first among 474 secondary-school adolescents (mean age, 15.5 yrs; girls N=263, boys N=211) and the second among 288 kindergarten children (mean age, 5.7; girls N=136; boys N=152). In both studies, defects in the nasal epithelium barrier function, as reflected by the concentrations of CC16 and albumin in NALF, are associated with environmental factors, including pool chlorine, and with increased risks of HDM sensitization. Levels of CC16 and albumin in the NALF of young children were suggestive of an immature epithelial barrier function. However, these results do not allow us to establish a cause/effect relationship between epithelial injury and allergic sensitization; therefore it seems to us necessary to carry out mechanistic studies that could explain what happens in the epithelium during the toxics and/or allergens exposure.
- Affiliations
Citations
Sardella, A. (2013). Nasal epithelium biomarkers in children and adolescents : associations with allergic sensitization and environmental stressors. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/26152