The Exposome Approach in Allergies and Lung Diseases: Is It Time to Define a Preconception Exposome?

Juan Pablo López-Cervantes, Marianne Lønnebotn, Nils Oskar Jogi, Lucia Calciano, Ingrid Nordeide Kuiper, Matthew G. Darby, Shyamali C. Dharmage, Francisco Gómez-Real, Barbara Hammer, Randi Jacobsen Bertelsen, Ane Johannessen, Anne Mette Lund Würtz, Toril Mørkve Knudsen, Jennifer Koplin, Kathrine Pape, Svein Magne Skulstad, Signe Timm, Gro Tjalvin, Susanne Krauss-Etschmann, Simone Accordini, Vivi Schlünssen, Jorunn Kirkeleit and Cecilie Svanes
Additional contact information
Juan Pablo López-Cervantes: Center for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Marianne Lønnebotn: Center for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Nils Oskar Jogi: Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
Lucia Calciano: Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Ingrid Nordeide Kuiper: Department of Pediatrics, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
Matthew G. Darby: Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine and Division of Immunology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Shyamali C. Dharmage: School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Francisco Gómez-Real: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
Barbara Hammer: Department of Pulmonology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Randi Jacobsen Bertelsen: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
Ane Johannessen: Center for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Anne Mette Lund Würtz: Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Public Health—Work, Environment and Health, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Toril Mørkve Knudsen: Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
Jennifer Koplin: School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Kathrine Pape: Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Public Health—Work, Environment and Health, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Svein Magne Skulstad: Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
Signe Timm: Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
Gro Tjalvin: Center for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Susanne Krauss-Etschmann: Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, 23845 Borstel, Germany
Simone Accordini: Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Vivi Schlünssen: Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Public Health—Work, Environment and Health, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Jorunn Kirkeleit: Center for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Cecilie Svanes: Center for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-20

Abstract: Emerging research suggests environmental exposures before conception may adversely affect allergies and lung diseases in future generations. Most studies are limited as they have focused on single exposures, not considering that these diseases have a multifactorial origin in which environmental and lifestyle factors are likely to interact. Traditional exposure assessment methods fail to capture the interactions among environmental exposures and their impact on fundamental biological processes, as well as individual and temporal factors. A valid estimation of exposure preconception is difficult since the human reproductive cycle spans decades and the access to germ cells is limited. The exposome is defined as the cumulative measure of external exposures on an organism (external exposome), and the associated biological responses (endogenous exposome) throughout the lifespan, from conception and onwards. An exposome approach implies a targeted or agnostic analysis of the concurrent and temporal multiple exposures, and may, together with recent technological advances, improve the assessment of the environmental contributors to health and disease. This review describes the current knowledge on preconception environmental exposures as related to respiratory health outcomes in offspring. We discuss the usefulness and feasibility of using an exposome approach in this research, advocating for the preconception exposure window to become included in the exposome concept.

Keywords: exposome; preconception; intergenerational; transgenerational; asthma; allergies; lung function; lung health; epigenetics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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