Climate change and the epithelial barrier theory in allergic diseases: A One Health approach to a green environment
فوکس
The scientific journal Allergy published this editorial in November 2023. It was written by Ruby Pawankar from the Department of Paediatrics at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo and Cezmi A. Akdis, director of the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research at the University of Zurich in Davos.
The editorial explores how climate change and a changing human environment affects allergic and autoimmune diseases through a focus on the ‘epithelial barrier theory’. The theory suggests that damage to the epithelial barrier, which protects the body from external irritants, may be linked to the rising rates of chronic health conditions like allergies, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and coeliac disease over the past 65 years.
The authors also highlight the 18th G20 Summit’s promotion of ‘Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE)’ and the ‘One Health’ approach which emphasize the need for global cooperation to address both climate change and its health impacts.
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Various environmental factors have taken an enormous toll on global health and have made allergic diseases including asthma, dermatitis and food allergies into a major health concern. Non-communicable diseases, of which allergic diseases are the most prevalent, suffer adverse effects due to global warming and climate change. With this in view, sustainable consumption and production of consumer items was a major topic of discussion at the G20 Summit under India’s presidency, the article notes.
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The Epithelial Barrier Theory suggests that industrialisation and modernisation have led to the human ‘exposome’ to be negatively affected through contact with a growing number of toxic substances that disrupt the epithelial barriers of the skin, airways and gut mucosa. ‘Exposome’ refers to “all environmental factors individuals encounter throughout their lifetime.” These include climate, urban or rural settings, education level, lifestyle choices, metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress, exposure to pollutants and infectious diseases.
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Citing a 2020 meta-analysis studying chemical pollution, the article states that since the 1960s, more than 350,000 new substances have been introduced in human lives without adequate control over their toxicity. Such substances include particulate matter, diesel exhaust particles, cigarette smoke, nano- and microplastics, ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and various surfactants.
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Epithelial barriers are also damaged by common chemical agents found in consumer products like toothpaste, shampoo and detergents. Damaged barriers increase the chances of bacteria, toxins, pollutants and allergens entering the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
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Government policies that help to reduce fossil fuel usage and increase biodiversity are of extreme importance, the article notes. It suggests mitigation measures including improvement in the energy efficiency of buildings, and a more sustainable transportation system. This, the article states, will contribute to reducing people’s exposure to toxic substances.
Focus and Factoids by Akriti Kanodia.
PARI Library's health archive project is part of an initiative supported by the Azim Premji University to develop a free-access repository of health-related reports relevant to rural India.
مزعومہ حقائق
مصنف
Ruby Pawankar and Cezmi A. Akdis
کاپی رائٹ
European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology and John Wiley and Sons
تاریخ اشاعت
نومبر, 2023