Maternal vitamin D and E intakes during early pregnancy are associated with airway epithelial cell responses in neonates.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal factors including maternal diet may predispose to airway disease, possibly by impacting on fetal airway development. OBJECTIVE: This cohort study tested the hypothesis that maternal vitamin D and E status in early pregnancy is associated with airway epithelial cell (AEC) responses in new born infants and examined constitutive and TNFα/IL-1ß, house dust mite (HDM) extract or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated neonatal AEC responses in vitro. METHODS: Maternal dietary vitamin D and E intakes (plasma 25[OH]D3 or α-tocopherol) were characterized at 10-12 weeks gestation. Neonatal nasal AECs were collected soon after birth and cultured to tertiary passage. Constitutive and stimulated - TNFα/IL-1ß, HDM extract or LPS - secretory responses (VEGF, RANTES, MCP-1, IL-17A, IFN-γ, GM-CSF, eotaxin, MIP1-α, MIP1-ß, ICAM, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF) in 139 AEC cultures were quantified. RESULTS: AEC mediator release was greater following TNF-α/IL-1ß, HDM or LPS stimulation compared to constitutive release. Increased maternal dietary vitamin D was associated with significant increases in IL-10 release by AEC after stimulation with TNF-α/IL-1ß (P = 0.024) or HDM (P = 0.049). Maternal plasma α-tocopherol at 10-12 weeks gestation was positively associated with MIP1α (Spearman's rho 0.242, P = 0.009) and IL-3 (ρ 0.189, P = 0.043) responses after TNF-α/IL-1ß stimulation and negatively associated with TNF (ρ -0.404, P = 0.011) and MIP1ß (ρ -0.322, P = 0.046) responses after LPS stimulation. DISCUSSION: Neonatal AECs respond to pro-inflammatory and allergenic stimuli in vitro demonstrating their potential to function as components of the innate immune response. Our findings suggest that associations exist between maternal micronutrient intake during early pregnancy and aspects of stimulated neonatal airway epithelial cell secretory function that may in turn impact on the development of asthma and/or allergic rhinitis in later life.

High prevalence of skin symptoms among bakery workers.

BACKGROUND: Occupational skin disease is common and bakery workers are at increased risk of hand dermatitis. AIMS: To explore the frequency of, and to identify risk factors for, skin symptoms in a small bakery. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of workers in a small bakery in Scotland, using a self-completed questionnaire regarding skin symptoms over the last 12 months. Additionally, data on self-reported atopy status, glove use and daily hand washing frequencies were obtained. Workers were classed as being at low, medium or high risk of occupational skin disease based on their job titles. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 85% (52 women, 41 men) with a mean age of 41 (range 17-72). Eleven per cent of bakers, confectioners and packers and 31% of cleaners, cooks and food production workers reported at least one skin symptom. Thirty-three per cent of symptomatic low-risk workers, 50% of symptomatic medium-risk workers and 75% of symptomatic high-risk workers stated their symptoms usually improved away from work. While washing hands more frequently than 20 times a day had an increased risk of skin symptoms, this was not significant [OR 3.5 (95% CI 0.9-13.2)]. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of skin symptoms among these bakery workers which was more than double that previously reported in UK bakeries. Frequent washing of hands as a risk factor for skin symptoms may warrant further investigation in bakery workers.