Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The Mysteries of the what Causes Asthma


The cause of asthma can be due to many different factors from environmental, to inheritance, and even antibiotics. The mysteries of asthma all lead to an issue with the immune system because immune cells go into over drive when they sense a trigger and cause inflammation. A study by Gary Huffnagle an immunologist at the University of Michigan has shown the possibility of bacteria being a cause of the disease.  He did an experiment where he exposed mice to yeast in their intestines, mold spores up their noses that moved down the airways and antibiotics. The mice showed signs of asthma and their blood tests revealed a disruption of their immune system.  But with mold and yeast alone the mice showed no affect and were perfectly healthy until they were given antibiotics. Along with these studies, observations suggest that the balance of bacteria and other microbes help guide immune development and when the balance is disrupted diseases may develop. Antibiotics can either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria but by these studies can also disrupt the balance of bacteria in side us.
 
Inside us we have thousands of species of bacteria, along with fungi and viruses called the microbiome. The presence or absence of the bacteria is not the problem but the shape or structure of the whole community. Researchers have found that children who develop asthma, have different bacteria and sometimes a less diverse mix then those who are healthy. In the article “Breastfeeding, other factors help shape immune system early in life” found in Science Daily, tells about six separate studies were researchers looked at whether the microbiome effected the development of regulatory T-cells. Through this study they identified that asthmatic children had a distinct microbiome during their first year of life. A pediatrician at the University of Copenhagen Hans Bisgaard has found that children with the disease have abundant neutrophils (white blood cells) in their lungs the generally appear when the body is fighting infection.  
 
This findings help reinforce the knowledge that it’s better for children to be exposed to microorganism or bacteria to help stimulate the immune system. This can help them be less susceptible to develop asthma or allergies. This is known as the hygiene hypothesis the idea that a sterile environment can disrupt the development of the immune system. Research is still ongoing to prove that bacteria one of the factors that helps cause asthma. These discoveries help explain the association between bacteria and the increase risk of asthma in childhood. But they are just associations it has not been proven yet.
 
Posted by Jazmin Granadeno (Group B)

10 comments:

  1. Diabetes,multiple sclerosis, cancers, obesity, and a number of other diseases can be brought on by abnormalities in your microbiome. This article reinforces the necessity of microbiome health, especially in childhood. It really is amazing how much the health of an individual is tied to the health of their microbiome.

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  2. I have read an article in physiology before that states that people who are exposed to stress- like infections- as kids often have better immune system than those who weren't exposed to these, is that also inclusive to asthma??

    osuji chukwunonso

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    1. Yes, this can also include asthma. Certain infections can help decrease the chance of getting asthma because it exposes them to microbes. But too much use of antibiotics to treat infections can decrease this exposure and increase the chance of getting asthma.

      -Jazmin Granadeno

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  3. I like how this article reminds us that moderation is better than extremism, in terms of exposure to bacteria at the very least. Using these findings about the microbiome, what do you think this research can lead to in the medical field? What new breakthroughs could this help develop?
    -Dan Staiculescu

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    1. These findings I think could help in developing methods to decrease the amount of antibiotic exposure for children. It could also help in analyzing the severity needed to be prescribed or administered antibiotics. Also to take in consideration if there are other methods that can be used to treat bacterial and viral infections. A breakthrough that it can help develop may be to stabilize the levels of microorganism at an early age so there is a decrease in acquiring asthma later.

      - Jazmin Granadeno

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  4. I've always thought it was amazing how everything in our bodies is so intertwined. It's so interesting to think that something like asthma could be brought on because of a lack of certain bacteria. Great post,

    David Rains,

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  5. Wow, it really is incredible how the microbiome contributes to our health. As science advances and our understanding of the microbial communities within our bodies broadens, one can only hope it will lead to medical treatments and preventions against disease. As someone with asthma, this post was very interesting! Great job!

    -Michael Salhany

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  6. This makes me wonder how microbiomes within animals develop, and more specifically, if they're inherited. If so, do babies borrow bacteria from the mother while developing in the womb? Or do their genes simply facilitate a similar environment for similar bacteria to develop in? I imagine there is a t least some heritability since things like asthma show a degree of heredity.
    -Patrick O'Loughlin

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  7. Thanks for your writing. I love this post. Asthma is a chronic disease but it can be controlled by modifying lifestyle and environment. Environmental site assessment phase 1 can be done to assess and control land contamination.

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