Allergies to food and airborne allergens in children and adolescents: role of epigenetics in a changing environment

Allergic diseases affect millions of children and adolescents worldwide. In this Review, we focus on allergies to food and airborne allergens and provide examples of prevalence trends during a time when climate change is of increasing concern. Profound environmental changes have affected natural systems in terms of biodiversity loss, air pollution, and climate. We discuss the potential links between these changes and allergic diseases in children, and the clinical implications. Several exposures of relevance for allergic disease also correlate with epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation. We propose that epigenetics could be a promising tool by which exposures and hazards related to a changing environment can be captured. Epigenetics might also provide promising biomarkers and help to elucidate the mechanisms related to allergic disease initiation and progress.

Automated summary

This review discusses the impact of allergic diseases on children and adolescents globally, specifically focusing on allergies to food and airborne allergens, and provides examples of prevalence trends in the context of increasing climate change concerns. The profound environmental changes, such as loss of biodiversity, air pollution, and climate change, have been affecting natural systems. The potential links between these changes and allergic diseases in children are explored, along with their clinical implications. The review also discusses the correlation between relevant exposures for allergic diseases and epigenetic changes like DNA methylation, proposing that epigenetics could be a promising tool for capturing exposures and hazards related to a changing environment. Furthermore, it suggests that epigenetics might also provide promising biomarkers and help in understanding the mechanisms of allergic disease initiation and progression.