Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
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A body of evidence suggests that major changes involving the atmosphere and the climate, including global warming induced by human activity, have an impact on the biosphere and the human environment. Studies on the effects of climate change on respiratory allergy are still lacking and current knowledge is provided by epidemiological and experimental studies on the relationship between asthma and environmental factors, such as meteorological variables, airborne allergens and air pollution. However, there is also considerable evidence that subjects affected by asthma are at an increased risk of developing obstructive airway exacerbations with exposure to gaseous and particulate components of air pollution. ⋯ In addition, by inducing airway inflammation, air pollution overcomes the mucosal barrier priming allergen-induced responses. In conclusion, climate change might induce negative effects on respiratory allergic diseases. In particular, the increased length and severity of the pollen season, the higher occurrence of heavy precipitation events and the increasing frequency of urban air pollution episodes suggest that environmental risk factors will have a stronger effect in the following decades.
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Until the present, no comprehensive studies evaluating the prevalence of food allergy and non-allergic food hypersensitivity (FA/NAFH) in adults have been done in Turkey or its surrounding countries. ⋯ We may conclude that FA/NAFH in the Turkish population seems to be low when compared with Northern and Western European countries. This may be due to genetic, cultural or dietary factors, and further studies evaluating the reasons for this low prevalence of FA/NAFH in our population are needed.