Lately, there has been increasing interest in the relationship between environmental contaminants and health of the population. Children are the most sensitive to environmental contaminants, mostly due to their higher ventilation, immature immune system and, compared to adult population, longer stay outside [1]. The effect of environmental pollution influences a higher sickness rate, a higher chance of respiratory infections and the rate of allergic diseases including asthma [1]. It is important to note that contaminations of the inside environment, mostly tobacco smoke, are as effective as pollution outside. The effects of passive smoking on development of allergies demonstrated by elevated levels of IgE at risk children population are well established. The highest level of effects of pollution is manifested in children suffering from asthma and in children with chronic respiratory problems [2]. Asthmatic children exposed to tobacco smoke have higher IgE levels, which are caused not only by genetic disposition, but also indirectly by higher penetration of allergens through damaged mucosa [2]. Clinical manifestations of allergies, asthma and chronic respiratory diseases are further influence by living close to roads with high traffic. Nitrogen oxides and most of all nanoparticles present in exhaust fumes increase clinical problems based on suppression of immunity [3-5]. Monitoring of the effects of these stress factors by evaluation of levels of salivary cortisol offers important information about the relationship between environmental stress and actual the health quality of children. Both aerial and food allergens can serve as triggers of stress reaction [6]. The intensity of stress reaction is influenced by individual sensitivity. Allergic population, asthmatics and people with respiratory allergy have higher levels of salivary cortisol [6,7]. Increased response of the hypothalamo-hypophyse-adrenal axis to stress was found to be higher in healthy individuals with a predisposition to allergic diseases [7]. We believe that β-glucans used in our study might influence the individual's response to the stress [8,9].
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