• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Early-life hygiene-related factors affect risk of CNS demyelination and asthma differentially (free)

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
Free full text: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cei.12077/full

Early-life hygiene-related factors affect risk of central nervous system demyelination and asthma differentially

A-M Hughes,* R M Lucas,* A J McMichael,* T Dwyer,† M P Pender,¶ I Mei,†† B V Taylor,†† P Valery,** C Chapman,§ A Coulthard,¶ K Dear,* T J Kilpatrick,‡ D Williams,‡‡ and A-L Ponsonby†

Clin Exp Immunol. Jun 2013; 172(3): 466–474.
Published online Apr 18, 2013. doi: 10.1111/cei.12077
PMCID: PMC3646446

ABSTRACT

The increasing prevalence of immune-related diseases, including multiple sclerosis, may be partly explained by reduced microbial burden during childhood.

Within a multi-centre case–control study population, we examined:

(i) the co-morbid immune diseases profile of adults with a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination (FCD)
and
(ii) sibship structure in relation to an autoimmune (FCD) and an allergic (asthma) disease.

FCD cases (n = 282) were aged 18–59 years; controls (n = 558) were matched on age, sex and region.

Measures include: history of doctor-diagnosed asthma; sibling profile (number; dates of birth); and regular childcare attendance.

FCD cases did not differ from controls with regard to personal or family history of allergy, but had a greater likelihood of chronic fatigue syndrome [odds ratio (OR) = 3·11; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·11, 8·71].

Having any younger siblings showed reduced odds of FCD (OR = 0·68; 95% CI: 0·49, 0·95) but not asthma (OR = 1·47; 95% CI: 0·91, 2·38).

In contrast, an increasing number of older siblings was associated with reduced risk of asthma (P trend = 0·04) but not FCD (P trend = 0·66).

Allergies were not over-represented among people presenting with FCD.

Sibship characteristics influence both FCD and asthma risk but the underlying mechanisms differ, possibly due to the timing of the putative ‘sibling effect’.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I grew up on a farm, handling poopy chicken eggs and other things. I always went shoeless.. I even bit my toe nails as a child as I liked the feel of them in my mouth (haha that sounds so discusting now).

I had all kinds of animals I used to play with, used to also play in the dirt (there was no seats where the bus picked me up for school, so I always sat on ground in the dirt and grass). No reduced microbial burden for me either. If anything, I'd been far more likely to pick something up due to all this (I remember even playing with a tick on a lizard).

I suspect I didnt even wash my hands as a child when I went to the loo (I remember thinking "why wash my hands when Im not going to eat". I did thou always wash them before dinner but that may of been the only time they were washed).
 

Simon

Senior Member
Messages
3,789
Location
Monmouth, UK
Thanks, @Dolphin

CFS was self-reported, with this definition:
personal medical history. For the latter, participants responded to the question: ‘Have you had, or do you have, any of the following conditions?’ and age at onset of each condition, including
  • asthma (doctor-diagnosed);
  • hayfever (sneezing, runny or blocked nose without a cold or flu, sometimes accompanied by watery, itchy eyes);
  • eczema (any itchy rash that was coming or going for at least 6 months affecting the folds of the elbows, behind the knees, in front of the ankles, under the buttocks or around the neck, ear or eyes);
  • rheumatoid arthritis (doctor-diagnosed); and
  • chronic fatigue syndrome (severe fatigue for 6 months, not relieved by rest and accompanied by four of the following: new headache, multiple joint pain, muscle pain, unrefreshing sleep, impaired memory or concentration, sore throat, tender cervical or axillary lymph glands, post-exertion malaise) [13-15].