(c) flickr & mphoenix
極端に清潔な環境で育つよりも細菌などの微生物にさらされた方が，炎症の関わる病気にかかりにくくなるらしい。炎症は，先進国の主な死因である心血管病（心筋梗塞，脳卒中など）とも深く関わっている。大人の心血管病が少ないフィリピンで，3,000人以上について育った環境や病歴を調査した結果，幼児期に感染症が多い反面，青年期には炎症の指標であるC反応性蛋白の血中濃度が欧米と比べて8割も低かった。研究者らは，炎症をうまく調節できるようになるには，幼児期に微生物にさらされることが必要なのかもしれないと考えている。（吉田素子）
A new Northwestern University study suggests that American parents should ease up on(1) antibacterial soap(2) and perhaps allow their little ones a romp(3) or two in the mud -- or at least(4) a much better acquaintance with(5) everyday germs(6).
The study is the first to look at how microbial exposures(7) early in life(8) affect inflammatory processes(9) related to(10) diseases associated with(11) aging(12) in adulthood(13).
Most provocatively(14), the Northwestern study suggests that exposure to(15) infectious(16) microbes(17) early in life may actually protect(18) individuals from cardiovascular diseases(19) that can lead to(20) death as an adult.
"Contrary to(21) assumptions(22) related to earlier studies, our research suggests that ultra-clean(23), ultra-hygienic(24) environments early in life may contribute to(25) higher levels of inflammation(26) as an adult, which in turn(27) increases risks for a wide range of(28) diseases," said Thomas McDade, lead author(29) of the study, associate professor(30) of anthropology(31) in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a faculty fellow(32) at the Institute for Policy Research (IPR).
Relatively speaking, humans only recently have lived in such hyper-hygienic(33) environments, he stressed.
The research suggests that inflammatory systems(34) may need a higher level of exposure to common everyday bacteria(35) and microbes to guide their development. "In other words(36), inflammatory networks(37) may need the same type of microbial exposures early in life that have been part of the human environment for all of our evolutionary(38) history to function optimally(39) in adulthood," said McDade, also a member of the Institute for Policy Research's Cells(40) to Society (C2S).
(1) ～を控えめにする (2) 抗菌せっけん (3) 跳ね回ること (4) 少なくとも (5) ～と接触すること
(6) 細菌などの微生物 (7) 微生物への曝露 (8) 年少期の (9) 炎症過程 (10) ～と関連した
(11) ～に伴う (12) 加齢 (13) 成人期 (14) 興味深いことに，興奮させられたことに (15) ～への曝露
(16) 感染性の (17) 微生物 (18) （～A from B）BからAを守る（Bに罹らないようにAを守る）
(19) 心血管病 (20) ～につながる (21) ～に反して (22) 想定 (23) ものすごく清潔な
(24) ものすごく衛生的な (25) ～の一因となる (26) 炎症 (27) 次には (28) さまざまな
(29) 筆頭著者 (30) 准教授 (31) 人類学 (32) （大学や省庁などに籍を置く）客員研究員 (33) 過剰に衛生的な
(34) 炎症系 (35) 細菌 (36) 言い換えれば (37) 炎症系のネットワーク (38) 進化の
(39) 最適に (40) 細胞
