NEW YORK—Infants exposed to second-hand smoke produce decreased amounts of interleukin-10, an anti-inflammation protein that may protect against asthma and allergies, new research shows.
In the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Dr. Deborah Gentile and colleagues at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh note that the production of interleukin-10 is diminished in children and adults with asthma and atopy.
They also note that exposure to second-hand smoke is a known risk factor for the development of childhood asthma [link to Reuters]. They therefore hypothesized that there might be an association between smoke exposure in early childhood and diminished interleukin-10 production.
To investigate, the researchers studied 21 infants who were exposed to second-hand smoke and 16 without such exposure. Blood samples were obtained at 2 weeks, 3 months and 5 months of age.
At the two earlier time points, there was no difference in interleukin-10 levels between the two groups of infants. In the coming months, however, the number of infants with detectable levels of interleukin-10 rose in the unexposed group and fell in the exposed group.
By 5 months, 36 percent of babies in the unexposed group had detectable levels compared with just 7 percent of those in the exposed group.
The researchers conclude that there is an association between second-hand smoke and interleukin-10 production, and they call for larger studies to establish whether this mechanism is involved in the development of asthma and allergy.
SOURCE: Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, April 2004.
source: http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2004/04/27/eline/links/20040427elin013.html 28apr04
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