Abstract
Allergic disorders are characterized by Th2-polarization, thus physiological Th1-dependent mechanisms for fighting infectious diseases (ID) may be defective. This study aims at evaluating the number and duration of respiratory (RI) and gastrointestinal diseases (GI) in allergic and non-allergic subjects in a particular community: the crew of an operative warship consisting of 189 persons (171 males and 18 females). The study period lasted for 5 months during an operative mission. The number and duration (days) of RI and GI were evaluated. Allergic subjects experienced more numerous RI (p=0.0029) and more severe GI (p=0.0001) than non-allergic subjects. This preliminary study provides evidence that allergic subjects may have more numerous RI and prolonged GI than non-allergic subjects.