title: Cord blood cytokines are modulated by maternal farming activities and consumption of farm dairy products during pregnancy: the PASTURE Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditional farming represents a unique model situation to investigate the relationship of early-life farm-related exposure and allergy protection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate associations between maternal farm exposures and cytokine production in cord blood (CB) mononuclear cells in a prospective multinational birth cohort of 299 farm and 326 nonfarm children and their families.
  
  
  METHODS
  Supernatants from phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate/ionomycin-stimulated CB mononuclear cells were assessed for the production of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in farm compared with nonfarm children were found, whereas IL-5, IL-10, and IL-12 levels did not differ between study groups. Maternal contact with different farm animal species and barns and consumption of farm-produced butter during pregnancy enhanced the production of proinflammatory CB cytokines, whereas maternal consumption of farm-produced yogurt resulted in significant lower levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in umbilical blood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal exposure to farming activities and farm dairy products during pregnancy modulated cytokine production patterns of offspring at birth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps-University of Marburg, 35033 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra Ina
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Pfefferle
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Büchele
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Blümer
authors.forename: Marjut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roponen
authors.forename: Markus Johannes
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ege
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krauss-Etschmann
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Genuneit
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hyvärinen
authors.forename: Maija-Riitta
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hirvonen
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lauener
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pekkanen
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riedler
authors.forename: Jean Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dalphin
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brunekeef
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braun-Fahrländer
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: von Mutius
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Renz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015014:Yogurt; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines