1. Combating Allergy and Asthma in Europe: Issues and Perspectives.
Erika von Mutius MD MSc
Professor of Pediatrics
University Children‘s Hospital
Munich, Germany

2. WROCŁAW

3. Atopic sensitisation in Sobotka and surrounding villages.
UK-type prevalence
lowest prevalence
in Europe
Sozanska et al, Allergy 2007

4. Lifetime residence and atopy.
Sozanska et al, Allergy 2007

5. Prevalence of atopy in Karelian children.%
von Hertzen et al, JACI 2006

6. Microbial exposures in Finnish and Russian Karelian homes.
Pakarinen et al,
Environ Microbiology 2008

7. Allergy protection from exposures to stables, farm milk and barns (ALEX Study).OR

8. amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene mattress dust
ds DNA
mattress dust
DNA extraction
exonuclease digestion
ss DNA
denaturation of DNA
gel-electrophoresis
under non-denaturing conditions
statistical analysis for significant associations with health outcomes or farm-related exposures
scanning gel and transformation into density values

9. Study the Microbiome in Environmental Samples by Pyrosequencing.
The ‚New Age of Molecular Diagnostics for Microbial Agents‘ (R. Whitley in NEJM March 2008).
The most comprehensive method to detect bacteria, viruses, fungi of all known and unknown species.
Will identify the most solid, so far unexplored, candidates.
Margulies et al, Nature 2005; Whitley NEJM 2008, Palacios et al, NEJM 2008.

10. GABRIEL Advanced Surveys
Children 6-12 years
Alpine regions and Poland
Population
Parental questionnaire
Phenotypes
Lung function
Blood sampling:
Allergy test, DNA/RNA
Genetics
Nasal and throat swabs
Exposure
Indoor and outdoor dust
Milk samples

11. GABRIEL Advanced Survey Design
Stage I: Recruitment in alpine areas
Recruitment questionnaire to large populations (N=135,359). Participation rate: 80.7%.
Randomisation: Random sample of full consent group
Stage II: Main study
Comprehensive questionnaire, blood samples (IgE, genetics), dust samples, nasal swabs (n=9,668)
Randomisation: Random sample in area with strongest effects (Germany)
Stage III: In depth environmental exposure
Collection of multiple dust samples, milk samples, throat swabs and measurement of lung function (n=895)

12. GABRIEL exposure assessment.
Because of restricted funding only possible in 225 subjects (26.2% of subjects in Stage III)
Bacterial exposure by 16 sRNA
Viable bacteria
Endotoxin
Muramic acid
CpG DNA
Fungal exposure by 16 sRNA

13. Vision for FP7:
Comprehensive characterisation of allergy protective environments (Alpine Areas, Eastern Europe, China).
Test identified allergy protective microbes / compounds in experimental studies.
Develop novel prevention strategies