- Section I 1800–1899
- Section II 1900–1949
- Section III 1950–1999
- Chapter 23 In praise of famous men: early cortisone studies
- Chapter 24 The relationship between mast cells and histamine
- Chapter 25 What goes round comes around: developing allergen immunotherapy
- Chapter 26 Burnet, clonal selection theory, and acquired immunological tolerance
- Chapter 27 Slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis
- Chapter 28 Loveless and wasp-venom immunotherapy
- Chapter 29 Developing an understanding of mast cell biology
- Chapter 30 Disodium cromoglycate for allergic asthma
- Chapter 31 Ancient Egyptian soup for treating asthma: Cox and Intal
- Chapter 32 RAST: Iconic test for allergic sensitization
- Chapter 33 The discovery of IgE
- Chapter 34 Penicillin allergy: a model for practical clinical translational science
- Chapter 35 Unravelling the relationship between <i>Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus</i> and asthma
- Chapter 36 The Gell–Coombs classification
- Chapter 37 The dawn of molecular allergology
- Chapter 38 Immunotherapy can change the natural history of respiratory allergy
- Chapter 39 Anatomy of the asthmatic bronchi
- Chapter 40 Identifying a novel cause of occupational allergy
- Chapter 41 Delayed hypersensitivity to pollen allergens
- Chapter 42 Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate: stepping-up asthma care
- Chapter 43 Challenging notions of the ‘atopic personality’
- Chapter 44 Establishing and investigating the relationship between food allergy and asthma
- Chapter 45 The histamine-inhalational test
- Chapter 46 Allergic reactions to colloid infusions—another chapter in the colloid debate
- Chapter 47 Total and specific IgE and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
- Chapter 48 Immunotherapy for venom allergy comes of age
- Chapter 49 Extending the evidence for immunotherapy to the management of children with house-dust-mite-triggered asthma
- Chapter 50 Insights from Xhosa children into environmental risk factors for the development of asthma
- Chapter 51 Viral infection, allergic sensitization, and asthma
- Chapter 52 Immune responses in atopic eczema
- Chapter 53 Understanding the relationship between atopic sensitization and airway hyper-responsiveness in asthma
- Chapter 54 Key insights into the relationship between food allergy and atopic dermatitis
- Chapter 55 From slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis to anti-leukotrienes
- Chapter 56 Once more unto the breach: the role of the damaged bronchial epithelium in asthma
- Chapter 57 Management of anaphylactic shock
- Chapter 58 The hygiene hypothesis
- Chapter 59 In search of the elixir for childhood allergy and asthma prevention
- Chapter 60 A new way of considering ‘quality of life’
- Chapter 61 Food allergy and anaphylaxis
- Chapter 62 Allergen avoidance: the Isle of Wight study
- Chapter 63 Introducing sputum counts
- Chapter 64 Atopic asthma is a TH2-cell-mediated disease
- Chapter 65 Investigating the impact of hay fever on educational performance
- Chapter 66 Findings from an early peanut immunotherapy trial
- Chapter 67 Auto-immune mechanisms in chronic urticaria
- Chapter 68 Air pollution, mortality, and the need for public health policy
- Chapter 69 The geography of asthma and atopy: after the Berlin wall came down
- Chapter 70 The role of animal allergens in allergic disease
- Chapter 71 The natural history of wheezing: the Tucson cohort
- Chapter 72 Measuring food-specific IgE values
- Chapter 73 Tuberculosis exposure and atopy
- Chapter 74 The inner-city home environment and asthma
- Chapter 75 Mapping the burden of allergic disease in childhood: ISAAC
- Chapter 76 The relationship between obesity and asthma
- Chapter 77 The emergence of monoclonal antibodies
- Chapter 78 The renaissance in allergen immunotherapy
- Chapter 79 Pet exposure in early life and the development of allergy and asthma
- Section IV 2000–2012
- Section V Conclusions
(p. 191) The hygiene hypothesis
- Chapter:
- (p. 191) The hygiene hypothesis
- Author(s):
Graham Devereux
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780199651559.003.0058
Hay fever has been described as a “post industrial revolution epidemic,” and successive morbidity surveys from British general practice suggest that its prevalence has continued to increase over the past 30 years. Other evidence suggests a recent increase in the prevalence of asthma and childhood eczema. I studied the epidemiology of hay fever in a national sample of 17,414 British children born during one week in March 1958 and followed up to the age of 23 years . . . At both 11 and 23 years of age hay fever was inversely related to the number of children in the household at age 11 . . . These observations could be explained if allergic diseases were prevented by infection in early childhood, transmitted by unhygienic contact with older siblings, or acquired prenatally from a mother infected by contact with her older children. Later infection or reinfection by younger siblings might confer additional protection against hay fever.
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- Section I 1800–1899
- Section II 1900–1949
- Section III 1950–1999
- Chapter 23 In praise of famous men: early cortisone studies
- Chapter 24 The relationship between mast cells and histamine
- Chapter 25 What goes round comes around: developing allergen immunotherapy
- Chapter 26 Burnet, clonal selection theory, and acquired immunological tolerance
- Chapter 27 Slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis
- Chapter 28 Loveless and wasp-venom immunotherapy
- Chapter 29 Developing an understanding of mast cell biology
- Chapter 30 Disodium cromoglycate for allergic asthma
- Chapter 31 Ancient Egyptian soup for treating asthma: Cox and Intal
- Chapter 32 RAST: Iconic test for allergic sensitization
- Chapter 33 The discovery of IgE
- Chapter 34 Penicillin allergy: a model for practical clinical translational science
- Chapter 35 Unravelling the relationship between <i>Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus</i> and asthma
- Chapter 36 The Gell–Coombs classification
- Chapter 37 The dawn of molecular allergology
- Chapter 38 Immunotherapy can change the natural history of respiratory allergy
- Chapter 39 Anatomy of the asthmatic bronchi
- Chapter 40 Identifying a novel cause of occupational allergy
- Chapter 41 Delayed hypersensitivity to pollen allergens
- Chapter 42 Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate: stepping-up asthma care
- Chapter 43 Challenging notions of the ‘atopic personality’
- Chapter 44 Establishing and investigating the relationship between food allergy and asthma
- Chapter 45 The histamine-inhalational test
- Chapter 46 Allergic reactions to colloid infusions—another chapter in the colloid debate
- Chapter 47 Total and specific IgE and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
- Chapter 48 Immunotherapy for venom allergy comes of age
- Chapter 49 Extending the evidence for immunotherapy to the management of children with house-dust-mite-triggered asthma
- Chapter 50 Insights from Xhosa children into environmental risk factors for the development of asthma
- Chapter 51 Viral infection, allergic sensitization, and asthma
- Chapter 52 Immune responses in atopic eczema
- Chapter 53 Understanding the relationship between atopic sensitization and airway hyper-responsiveness in asthma
- Chapter 54 Key insights into the relationship between food allergy and atopic dermatitis
- Chapter 55 From slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis to anti-leukotrienes
- Chapter 56 Once more unto the breach: the role of the damaged bronchial epithelium in asthma
- Chapter 57 Management of anaphylactic shock
- Chapter 58 The hygiene hypothesis
- Chapter 59 In search of the elixir for childhood allergy and asthma prevention
- Chapter 60 A new way of considering ‘quality of life’
- Chapter 61 Food allergy and anaphylaxis
- Chapter 62 Allergen avoidance: the Isle of Wight study
- Chapter 63 Introducing sputum counts
- Chapter 64 Atopic asthma is a TH2-cell-mediated disease
- Chapter 65 Investigating the impact of hay fever on educational performance
- Chapter 66 Findings from an early peanut immunotherapy trial
- Chapter 67 Auto-immune mechanisms in chronic urticaria
- Chapter 68 Air pollution, mortality, and the need for public health policy
- Chapter 69 The geography of asthma and atopy: after the Berlin wall came down
- Chapter 70 The role of animal allergens in allergic disease
- Chapter 71 The natural history of wheezing: the Tucson cohort
- Chapter 72 Measuring food-specific IgE values
- Chapter 73 Tuberculosis exposure and atopy
- Chapter 74 The inner-city home environment and asthma
- Chapter 75 Mapping the burden of allergic disease in childhood: ISAAC
- Chapter 76 The relationship between obesity and asthma
- Chapter 77 The emergence of monoclonal antibodies
- Chapter 78 The renaissance in allergen immunotherapy
- Chapter 79 Pet exposure in early life and the development of allergy and asthma
- Section IV 2000–2012
- Section V Conclusions