it has something to do with the immune system and lymphocytes I can't find it anywhere "germ free environment" is the hintsomeone please help! 0 Likes
Daytonite, BSN, RN Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt. Has 40 years experience. Feb 28, 2009 it has something to do with the immune system and lymphocytes I can't find it anywhere "germ free environment" is the hintsomeone please help!A germ that lives in a symbiotic relationship with a host that lives in that environment? 0 Likes
Reddy,RN Feb 28, 2009 Possibly type 1 diabetes:http://www.smh.com.au/news/lifeandstyle/health/diabetes-link-to-germfree-environment/2008/11/15/1226318995787.html 0 Likes
CraftyStarr Mar 2, 2009 Compromised immune system? If there are no germs, there is no chance for an immune response and antibody development. Please let us know the correct answer when you find it! 0 Likes
Jolie, BSN Specializes in Maternal - Child Health. Has 35 years experience. Mar 2, 2009 One theory of the rise in allergies and asthma in our society is that as children, our environments are too clean, causing the immune system to "go looking" for something to combat. 0 Likes
Multicollinearity, BSN, RN Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student. Has 4 years experience. Mar 2, 2009 Interesting question because you'd be hard-pressed to find a germ free environment outside of a specially built lab. That said, any of the auto-immune diseases could result from low-germ level environments. Edited Mar 2, 2009 by Multicollinearity 0 Likes
CraftyStarr Mar 2, 2009 That is interesting...SCID is not caused from a germ-free environment, but instead necessitates a germ-free environment. I hope you argued this if you were counted wrong! 0 Likes
AtomicWoman Mar 2, 2009 I agree with Crafty. There's no evidence SCID *results from* a germ-free environment. But like s/he said, it *requires* a germ-free environment. There's a lot of speculation that today's kids have weaker immune systems because they are exposed to less pathogens, but I haven't read anyone saying that SCID is the result. 0 Likes
sttonemaster12 Oct 20, 2010 well diseases and illnesses are especially prevelant in young children when they are perpetually exposed to germ "free" enviroments....a newborns immune system depends primarily on antibodies and hence on Th2 lymphocytes. the Th1 system is eductated and gets stronger as a result of encounters with microbes-both harmful and harmless. if such "exercise" doesn't occur, immune balance is upset and the Th2 system flourishes, causing the immune system to teeter towards allergies. unhappily, "our" desire to keep children squeeky clean with antibiotics that kill off both harmful and harmless bacteria may derail normal immune development...also keeping our skin and for example home enviroments abnormally clean excludes the good germs that "hog up" all the space on surfaces and makes room for pathogens..there is a list of diseases that can result from germ "free" enviroments . 0 Likes
cmonkey Specializes in student; help!. Oct 22, 2010 One theory of the rise in allergies and asthma in our society is that as children, our environments are too clean, causing the immune system to "go looking" for something to combat.I so don't worry about that with my kids. Between the chickens, ducks, turkeys, cat, occasional pig/sheep, I think they get exposed to plenty of germs. I do believe that kids in cities are also more likely to develop asthma, and some are linking exposure to roaches for some reason. But I saw that years ago and it may be debunked by now. I think roaches are actually supposed to be fairly clean animals. I think the air pollution makes more sense, but I don't write studies. 0 Likes
