Exposom

The original English term "exposomes" (composed of exposure and genomes) was published in 2005 by Chris Wild, Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Totality of all non-genetic, endogenous and exogenous environmental influences to which an individual is exposed. The exposome of an individual consists of the extrinsic and intrinsic environmental factors. The extrinsic environmental factors include: pollutants, allergies, moulds, bacterial products and pathogens of various kinds. Intrinsic environmental factors include: genetic background, hormones and commensal microorganisms. The normal immune response to commensal microorganisms and allergens is tolerance. The normal immune response to mycogenic, bacterial and viral pathogens is a complex immune response designed to eliminate the pathogens.

The influence of environmental factors on the prevalence and severity of atopic diseases has been shown many times. Ultrafine particles, such as those found in diesel exhaust, can cause asthma in animal experiments. Pollen from birch trees grown under natural environmental conditions can show urbanization-related changes in their allergy potential. Birch pollen that has been exposed to elevated ozone concentrations in outdoor air is more chemotactic for neutrophil granulocytes. They have a higher content of the main allergen Bet v 1 .

The influence of the exposome can also be illustrated by looking at epidemiological data on chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and migration. Adults who migrate from countries with low CED incidence to countries with high CED incidence retain the low CED incidence rate of their home country. In contrast, when children or young adults migrate from countries with low CED incidence to countries with high CED incidence, the probability that the incidence of this population will converge to the level of the country of emigration increases.

The term "exposomes" is composed of: exposure and genomes.

1. Gilles S et al.(2014) The environmental-pathogen axis-is used in communicable and non-communicable diseases: recent advances in experimental and clinical research. JDDG 12: 395-400

2. Peters A et al (2012) Understanding the link between environmental exposures and health: does the exposome promise too much? J Epidemiol Community Health 66: 103-105.