Abstract:
We have previously reported that in comparison with their counterparts that have recently arrived from China, Chinese immigrants living in Australia for several years displayed attenuated innate cytokine responses following triggering of most TLRs, except for TLR‐4. These immigrants also had overall increased methylation and decreased gene expression, which are consistent with recent findings suggesting that allergy‐contributing factors such as microbial exposure, diet and environmental agents mediate their influence through alterations of the epigenetic landscape. Delayed maturation of the immune system with decreased production of IFN‐γ at birth (Th1) and a prolonged postnatal Th2 deviation is associated with the development of allergy in childhood. The impetus for normal postnatal maturation of immune function is exposure to environmental microbial signals, and it is possible that differences in immune competence between recently arrived vs long‐term Australian resident Chinese populations may reflect variations between the diversity and intensity of baseline microbial exposures in the respective environments. To investigate these issues further, we extended our comparative studies on these populations to IgG‐associated responsiveness to specific microbial pathogens that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atopic asthma, and also to the correlation between their IgG production and their respective innate cytokine responses.
A marked shift in innate and adaptive immune response in chinese immigrants living in a western environment
There is a marked shift in innate and adaptive immune responses in Chinese immigrants after living in a Western environment for several years