Atopy is the state of @entity566 to common environmental antigens. Genetic and environmental factors promote the disorder. The impressive rise in prevalence, mainly centred on socio-economically developed communities around the world, emphasizes the potent action of environmental factors in moulding this @entity1200 which is characterized by inadequately restrained @entity61 immune mechanisms and IgE production. Reversing the epidemiological trend depends on our identifying the major environmental inputs and acting against these. As yet, the nature of these environmental factors remains to be clarified. Candidate factors include changes in diet, chemical air pollution and microbial exposures in developed countries. This article limits its scope to changing microbial exposures as a potential mechanism. (a) It records epidemiological data that have associated @entity159 with less natural exposure to pathogens, parasites and commensal micro-organisms, but with more exposure to certain antibiotics and public health immunizations in early life. (b) It records studies in @entity19 that support the concept that certain microbial exposures can inhibit experimental @entity566 . (c) It considers potential immune mechanisms for such an action, including the possibility that certain @entity281 promote immune regulatory processes that can restrain atopy. It is concluded that the hypothesis that changing patterns of microbial exposure may have promoted the rise in atopy is viable, and that exciting possibilities for reversing the rise of atopy may be derived from further studies.

The rise of XXXX .

@entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['mice'] @entity566 :: ('MESH:D006967', 'Disease') :: ['allergy'] @entity61 :: ('15111(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['Th-2'] @entity281 :: ('MESH:D007239', 'Disease') :: ['natural infections'] @entity1200 :: ('MESH:D007154', 'Disease') :: ['immune disorder'] @entity159 :: ('MESH:D013226', 'Disease') :: ['atopic status']
@entity281 :: (MESH:D007239,Disease) :: ['atopy and links to infection']
