Sophie Nicklaus1, Amandine Divaret-Chauveau2,3, Marie-Laure Chardon4,5, Caroline Roduit6,7, Vincent Kaulek8, Eléa Ksiazek1, Marie-Laure Dalphin8, Anne M Karvonen9, Pirkka Kirjavainen9, Juha Pekkanen9,10, Roger Lauener6,11, Elisabeth Schmausser-Hechfellner12, Harald Renz13, Charlotte Braun-Fahrländer14,15, Josef Riedler16,17, Dominique A Vuitton18, Erika Von Mutius12,19,20, Jean-Charles Dalphin8. 1. Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRA, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France. 2. Pediatrics Department, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France. 3. Pediatric Allergy Department, University Hospital of Nancy, Nancy, France. 4. University Hospital of Besançon, Respiratory Disease, Besançon, France. 5. Hospital of Haute-Saône, Respiratory disease, Vesoul, France. 6. Christine Kühne Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Davos, Switzerland. 7. Children's Hospital, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. 8. University Hospital of Besançon, Respiratory Disease, UMR6249 ChronoEnvironnement, CNRS and Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France. 9. Department of Health Security, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland. 10. Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 11. Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland. 12. Dr. Von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany. 13. Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. 14. Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. 15. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 16. Children's Hospital Schwarzach, Schwarzach, Austria. 17. Teaching Hospital of Paracelsus Medical Private University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. 18. Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France. 19. Institute for Asthma and Allergy Prevention, Helmholtz Centre Munich, Neuherberg, Germany. 20. German Center for Lung Research, Munich, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The effect of exposure to microorganisms on allergic diseases has been well studied. The protective effect of early food diversity against allergic diseases was previously shown in the PASTURE cohort study. The consumption of cheese, a food potentially rich in microbial diversity, deserves further examination. We aimed to evaluate whether cheese consumption is associated with allergic diseases. METHODS: In the PASTURE study (birth cohort in 5 European countries), data on feeding practices, environmental factors, and allergic diseases were collected by questionnaires from birth to 6 years (N = 931). Cheese consumption at 18 months of age was quantified in terms of frequency and diversity (ie, number of consumed types among 6 types: hard pressed, semipressed, soft, blue, fresh cheese, and cheese from the farm). Multiple logistic regressions were performed to evaluate the effect of cheese consumption on atopic dermatitis (AD), food allergy (FA), allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic sensitization at 6 years after adjustment for confounders of atopy. RESULTS: Cheese consumption (vs. nonconsumption) had a significant protective effect on AD (OR = 0.51 [0.29-0.90], P = 0.02) and FA (OR = 0.32, [0.15-0.71], P = 0.004), but no effect on atopic sensitization, allergic rhinitis, and asthma at 6 years. This effect on AD and FA may be related to the diversity of consumed cheeses (OR = 0.64 [0.48-0.85] per cheese type, P = 0.002; OR = 0.55 [0.33-0.92], P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: Although reverse causality cannot totally be ruled out, cheese diversity at 18 months had a protective effect against AD and FA at 6 years in addition to the protective effect of diversity of other foods.
BACKGROUND: The effect of exposure to microorganisms on allergic diseases has been well studied. The protective effect of early food diversity against allergic diseases was previously shown in the PASTURE cohort study. The consumption of cheese, a food potentially rich in microbial diversity, deserves further examination. We aimed to evaluate whether cheese consumption is associated with allergic diseases. METHODS: In the PASTURE study (birth cohort in 5 European countries), data on feeding practices, environmental factors, and allergic diseases were collected by questionnaires from birth to 6 years (N = 931). Cheese consumption at 18 months of age was quantified in terms of frequency and diversity (ie, number of consumed types among 6 types: hard pressed, semipressed, soft, blue, fresh cheese, and cheese from the farm). Multiple logistic regressions were performed to evaluate the effect of cheese consumption on atopic dermatitis (AD), food allergy (FA), allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic sensitization at 6 years after adjustment for confounders of atopy. RESULTS: Cheese consumption (vs. nonconsumption) had a significant protective effect on AD (OR = 0.51 [0.29-0.90], P = 0.02) and FA (OR = 0.32, [0.15-0.71], P = 0.004), but no effect on atopic sensitization, allergic rhinitis, and asthma at 6 years. This effect on AD and FA may be related to the diversity of consumed cheeses (OR = 0.64 [0.48-0.85] per cheese type, P = 0.002; OR = 0.55 [0.33-0.92], P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: Although reverse causality cannot totally be ruled out, cheese diversity at 18 months had a protective effect against AD and FA at 6 years in addition to the protective effect of diversity of other foods.