| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000)
|
|---|
| Research Abstract |
In this study, we performed an epidemiologic study to elucidate environmental factors responsible for the onset of allergic disease in this country, and basic studies to elucidate how these factors contribute to the development of allergic diseases. The purpose in this study is, thus, to address health recommendation to diminish risks for the onset of allergic diseases as well as to accumulate fundamental data to facilitate the development of allergy-preventing vaccine.
Epidemiological study: We performed a questionnaire-based retrospective cohort study subjecting parents of all second grade elementary school students in Hiroshima-city (11,163 parents of the children, number of the effective answers 9,975, effective answer rate 89.4%). As results, we found 1. The number of elder siblings was inversely correlated with lower risk of allergic diseases also in this country (consistent with "Hygiene Hypothesis"), 2. The administration of antibiotics during early infancy is a strong risk factor for the onset of allergic diseases, 3. Elimination of specific food during pregnancy did not reduce the risk of allergic diseases, 4. Intake of fast food during pregnant did not alter the risk of allergic diseases, 5. The BCG inoculation during infancy did not reduce the risk of allergic rhinitis.
Basic study: I analyzed gene expression profiles in cord blood mononuclear cells and PBMC from normal adults after stimulation with various TLR ligands or immunomodulating drugs (Picibanil, Krestin, Lentinan).
As a result, IFN-gamma production from umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell by various stimuli was remarkably lower than that of PBMC from normal adults. Among drugs tested, only Picibanil induced a cluster of genes that are necessary for the prevention of allergic diseases. Taken together, BCG (Tokyo strain) is supposed to have no effects on the prevention of allergic diseases, and Picibanil is a possible candidate for allergy-preventing vaccine
|
