Variations in the prevalence of childhood asthma and wheeze in MeDALL cohorts in Europe.

While there is evidence for variations in prevalence rates of childhood wheeze and asthma between countries, longitudinal, individual-level data are needed to understand these differences. The aim of this study was to examine variations in prevalence rates of childhood asthma, wheeze and wheeze with asthma in Europe. We analysed datasets from 10 MeDALL (Mechanisms of the Development of ALLergy) cohorts in eight countries, representing 26 663 children, to calculate prevalence rates of wheeze and asthma by child age and wheeze with asthma at age 4 years.

Which early life events or current environmental and lifestyle factors influence lung function in adolescents? - results from the GINIplus & LISAplus studies.

Background: Various factors may affect lung function at different stages in life. Since investigations that simultaneously consider several factors are rare, we examined the relative importance of early life, current environmental/lifestyle factors and allergic diseases on lung function in 15-year-olds.

Methods: Best subset selection was performed for linear regression models to investigate associations between 21 diverse early life events and current factors with spirometric parameters (forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s and maximal mid-expiratory flow (FEF)) in 1326 participants of the German GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohorts.

Residential Air Pollution, Road Traffic, Greenness and Maternal Hypertension: Results from GINIplus and LISAplus.

Background: The public health burden of hypertension is high, but its relationship with long-term residential air pollution, road traffic, and greenness remains unclear.

Objective: To investigate associations between residential air pollution, traffic, greenness, and hypertension among mothers.

Methods: Information on doctor-diagnosed maternal hypertension was collected at the 15-year follow-up of two large population-based multicenter German birth cohorts-GINIplus and LISAplus (n=3063).

Breastfeeding trends in healthy infants since 1990-results of the DONALD study.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for infants during the first 6 months of life. The aim of this analysis was to examine time trends in breastfeeding between 1990 and 2013 in Germany using data from the DONALD (Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed) Study. Although partial breastfeeding was observed to constantly increase over time in both 3-month and 6-month-old infants, fully breastfeeding rates did not further increase in 3-month-old infants since 2002, and even showed a tendency to decrease in 6-month-old infants.

High protein intake along with paternal part-time employment is associated with higher body fat mass among girls from South China.

Purpose: Protein intake has been suggested to be associated with body composition among western children. Our aim was to determine whether protein intake is associated with body composition among Chinese children and to investigate whether parental socioeconomic status modifies these associations.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from the baseline survey of an ongoing population-based prospective open cohort study conducted in 2013.

Physician practice in food allergy prevention in the Middle East and North Africa.

Background: A number of scientific organisations have developed guidelines for the primary prevention of allergic disease through nutritional interventions. However, even if the best evidence-based guidelines are available, these guidelines do not necessarily lead to adherence and improved health outcomes.

Method: To determine how closely the practice of physicians in select Middle Eastern and North African countries compares with the current recommendations on the primary prevention of allergy a survey study was performed using a structured questionnaire and convenience sampling.

Higher serum 25(OH)D concentrations are associated with improved FEV and FVC in adolescence.

Vitamin D plays a role in the development of the immune system and the lung, as well as in airway remodelling. Therefore, this study investigated the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and spirometric lung function parameters at age 15 years.In the German birth cohorts GINIplus and LISAplus, lung function testing by spirometry and 25(OH)D measurements were performed during the 15-year follow-up examinations.

Dietary Fatty Acids and Changes in Blood Lipids during Adolescence: The Role of Substituting Nutrient Intakes.

The relevance of dietary fatty acids (FA) for blood lipids should be assessed in the context of substituting nutrients. Such evidence is lacking for adolescents. This study describes prospective associations of dietary FA with changes in serum lipids during adolescence, and considers the theoretical isocaloric replacements of saturated FA (SFA) with other FA or carbohydrates (CHO).

Early life travelling does not increase risk of atopic outcomes until 15 years: results from GINIplus and LISAplus.

Background: Westernized lifestyle has been blamed for allergy epidemics. One of its characteristics is increased distances and frequency of travelling from early life onwards. Early life travelling to places which substantially differ from home environment in terms of climate, vegetation and food could increase the exposure to further unknown allergens and hence promote the development of allergies, but no epidemiological study has investigated this speculation.

Traffic-related air pollution and hyperactivity/inattention, dyslexia and dyscalculia in adolescents of the German GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohorts.

Background: Few studies have examined the link between air pollution exposure and behavioural problems and learning disorders during late childhood and adolescence.

Objectives: To determine whether traffic-related air pollution exposure is associated with hyperactivity/inattention, dyslexia and dyscalculia up to age 15years using the German GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohorts (recruitment 1995-1999).

Methods: Hyperactivity/inattention was assessed using the German parent-completed (10years) and self-completed (15years) Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Sedentary Behavior Is Independently Related to Fat Mass among Children and Adolescents in South China.

We aim to explore the independent associations of sedentary behaviors (SB) with body mass distribution among Chinese children. Data on the screen-based sedentary time (television viewing and computer use) and doing homework, physical activities and dietary intake of 1586 Chinese children (50.3% girls) aged 7-15 years were obtained through validated questionnaires.

Association between full breastfeeding, timing of complementary food introduction, and iron status in infancy in Germany: results of a secondary analysis of a randomized trial.

Purpose: Considering the low content in breast milk breastfed infants might be at particular risk for depleted iron stores after the first months of life. This study evaluates the association of the mode of milk feeding and the timing of complementary food (CF) introduction with parameters of iron status in term healthy infants in Germany.

Methods: In this secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, parents recorded all foods consumed by their infants from the age of 8 weeks onwards.

Residential greenness and blood lipids in children: A longitudinal analysis in GINIplus and LISAplus.

Introduction: There is some evidence of decreased cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and morbidity among adults residing in greener places. Among others, blood lipids are well established risk factors for CVD. In our previous study, we observed the inverse association between greenness and blood pressure in 10-year-old children.

Interest in Integrative Medicine Among Postmenopausal Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Patients in the EvAluate-TM Study.

Background: Breast cancer patients often use complementary and alternative medicine, but few prospectively collected data on the topic are available specifically for postmenopausal breast cancer patients. A large prospective study was therefore conducted within a noninterventional study in order to identify the characteristics of patients interested in integrative medicine.

Methods: The EvAluate-TM study is a prospective, multicenter noninterventional study in which treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole was evaluated in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive primary breast cancer.

Is there a march from early food sensitization to later childhood allergic airway disease? Results from two prospective birth cohort studies.

Background: The march from early aeroallergen sensitization to subsequent respiratory allergy is well established, but it is unclear whether early life food sensitization precedes and further increases risk of allergic airway disease.

Objective: To assess the association between food sensitization in the first 2 years of life and subsequent asthma and allergic rhinitis by age 10-12 years.

Methods: We used data from two independent cohorts: the high-risk Melbourne Atopic Cohort Study (MACS) (n = 620) and the population-based LISAplus (n = 3094).

Asthma and Rhinitis Are Associated with Less Objectively-Measured Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity, but Similar Sport Participation, in Adolescent German Boys: GINIplus and LISAplus Cohorts.

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) protects against most noncommunicable diseases and has been associated with decreased risk of allergic phenotype, which is increasing worldwide. However, the association is not always present; furthermore it is not clear whether it is strongest for asthma, rhinitis, symptoms of these, or atopic sensitization; which sex is most affected; or whether it can be explained by either avoidance of sport or exacerbation of symptoms by exercise. Interventions are thus difficult to target.

Age Dependency of GLI Reference Values Compared with Paediatric Lung Function Data in Two German Studies (GINIplus and LUNOKID).

A hallmark of the newly published GLI (Global Lungs Initiative) spirometric reference values is their "all-age" (3-95yr) predictive power, accomplished by incorporating non-linear age dependencies into modelling parameters. This modelling strategy is especially promising for the age range of puberty; however, the performance of GLI-values for adolescents is currently unknown. We calculated GLI-based z-scores for children/adolescents without apparent respiratory diseases from two different German studies, LUNOKID (N = 1943, 4-19 years) and GINIplus (N = 1042, 15 years) and determined the goodness of fit for specific age groups.

Lung clearance index for monitoring early lung disease in alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.

Patients with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and a PI-ZZ genotype are at high risk to develop severe emphysema during adulthood. However, little is known about early stages of emphysema and disease manifestation in other PI-types. Spirometry is commonly used for monitoring although early manifestation of emphysema is suspected within the peripheral airways that are not accessible by forced expiratory manoeuvres.

Residential greenness is differentially associated with childhood allergic rhinitis and aeroallergen sensitization in seven birth cohorts.

Background: The prevalence of allergic rhinitis is high, but the role of environmental factors remains unclear. We examined cohort-specific and combined associations of residential greenness with allergic rhinitis and aeroallergen sensitization based on individual data from Swedish (BAMSE), Australian (MACS), Dutch (PIAMA), Canadian (CAPPS and SAGE), and German (GINIplus and LISAplus) birth cohorts (n = 13 016).

Methods: Allergic rhinitis (doctor diagnosis/symptoms) and aeroallergen sensitization were assessed in children aged 6-8 years in six cohorts and 10-12 years in five cohorts.

Physical Activity Levels and Domains Assessed by Accelerometry in German Adolescents from GINIplus and LISAplus.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a well-known and underused protective factor for numerous health outcomes, and interventions are hampered by lack of objective data. We combined accelerometers with diaries to estimate the contributions to total activity from different domains throughout the day and week in adolescents.

Methods: Accelerometric and diary data from 1403 adolescents (45% male, mean age 15.

Physical activity is not associated with spirometric indices in lung-healthy German youth.

In lung disease, physical activity improves lung function and reduces morbidity. However, healthy populations are not well studied. We estimate the relationship between spirometric indices and accelerometric physical activity in lung-healthy adolescents.

Neighbourhood and physical activity in German adolescents: GINIplus and LISAplus.

Introduction: Impact of neighbourhood on physical activity (PA) is under-investigated in European adolescents, and few studies have used objective data on both exposures and outcomes. Therefore we investigated the association between objectively measured neighbourhood characteristics and PA in 15-year-old German adolescents.

Methods: Study populations comprised of 688 adolescents residing in the urban Munich area and 504 from the rural Wesel area from the GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohorts.

Low levels of Caspase-3 predict favourable response to 5FU-based chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer: Caspase-3 inhibition as a therapeutic approach.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in the Western world. 5-Fluorouracil (5FU)-based chemotherapy (CT) remains the mainstay treatment of CRC in the advanced setting, and activates executioner caspases in target cells. Executioner caspases are key proteins involved in cell disassembly during apoptosis.