Background Sensitization to individual cat and dog allergen molecules can contribute differently to development of allergy to these animals. Objective We sought to investigate the association between ...sensitization patterns to cat and dog allergen molecules during childhood and symptoms to these furry animals up to age 16 years. Methods Data from 779 randomly collected children from the Barn/Children Allergy/Asthma Milieu Stockholm Epidemiologic birth cohort at 4, 8, and 16 years were used. IgE levels to cat and dog were determined by using ImmunoCAP, and levels to allergen molecules were determined by using an allergen chip based on ISAC technology (Mechanisms for the Development of Allergy chip). Allergy was defined as reported rhinitis, conjunctivitis, or asthma at exposure to cat or dog. Results Cross-sectionally, IgE to Fel d 1 and cat extract had similar positive predictive values for cat allergy. IgE to Can f 1 showed a higher positive predictive value for dog allergy than dog extract IgE. Sensitizations to Fel d 1 and Can f 1 in childhood were significantly associated with symptoms to cat or dog at age 16 years. Polysensitization to 3 or more allergen molecules from cat or dog was a better longitudinal predictor of cat or dog symptoms than results of IgE tests with cat or dog allergen extract, respectively. Cross-sectionally, cat/dog-polysensitized children had higher IgE levels and more frequent symptoms to cat and dog than monosensitized children. Conclusions Sensitization to Fel d 1 and Can f 1 in childhood and polysensitization to either cat or dog allergen molecules predict cat and dog allergy cross-sectionally and longitudinally significantly better than IgE to cat or dog extract.
Background Component-resolved diagnosis might improve the prediction of future allergy in young children. Objective We sought to investigate the association between IgE reactivity to the ...pathogenesis-related class 10 (PR-10) protein family and allergic rhinitis to birch pollen (ARbp ) from early childhood up to age 16 years. Method Questionnaire data and sera obtained at 4, 8, and 16 years of age from the Barn/Children Allergi/Allergy Milieu Stockholm Epidemiologic (BAMSE) study birth cohort were used. Sera from 764 children were analyzed for IgE reactivity to 9 PR-10 allergen proteins at the 3 time points by using an allergen chip based on ISAC technology. ARbp was defined as upper airway symptoms during birch pollen exposure. Results IgE reactivity to Bet v 1 was found in 12%, 17%, and 25% of children at 4, 8, and 16 years of age. IgE reactivity of PR-10 proteins showed a hierarchic intrarelationship: Bet v 1 > Mal d 1 > Cor a 1.04 > Ara h 8 > Pru p 1 > Aln g 1 > Api g 1 > Act d 8 > Gly m 4. There was an increased risk of incidence and persistence of ARbp up to age 16 years with increasing levels of Bet v 1–specific IgE or increasing numbers of IgE-reactive PR-10 proteins at 4 years. Children with severe ARbp at age 16 years had higher levels of Bet v 1–specific IgE at age 4 years compared with children with mild symptoms. Conclusion ARbp at age 16 years can be predicted by analysis of IgE reactivity to PR-10 proteins in early childhood.
Background Allergic rhinitis represents a global health problem affecting 10% to 20% of the population. The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines have been widely used to treat ...the approximately 500 million affected patients globally. Objective To develop explicit, unambiguous, and transparent clinical recommendations systematically for treatment of allergic rhinitis on the basis of current best evidence. Methods The authors updated ARIA clinical recommendations in collaboration with Global Allergy and Asthma European Network following the approach suggested by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation working group. Results This article presents recommendations about the prevention of allergic diseases, the use of oral and topical medications, allergen specific immunotherapy, and complementary treatments in patients with allergic rhinitis as well as patients with both allergic rhinitis and asthma. The guideline panel developed evidence profiles for each recommendation and considered health benefits and harms, burden, patient preferences, and resource use, when appropriate, to formulate recommendations for patients, clinicians, and other health care professionals. Conclusion These are the most recent and currently the most systematically and transparently developed recommendations about the treatment of allergic rhinitis in adults and children. Patients, clinicians, and policy makers are encouraged to use these recommendations in their daily practice and to support their decisions.
Abstract Background Allergic rhinitis affects 10 to 40% of the population. It reduces quality of life, school and work performance, and is a frequent reason for office visits in general practice. ...Medical costs are large but avoidable costs associated with lost work productivity are even larger than those incurred by asthma. New evidence has accumulated since the last revision of the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma – ARIA guidelines in 2010 prompting its update. Objective To provide a targeted update of the ARIA guidelines. Methods The ARIA guideline panel identified new clinical questions and selected questions requiring an update. We performed systematic reviews of health effects and the evidence about patient values and preferences, and resource requirements (up to June 2016). We followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) evidence-to-decision frameworks to develop recommendations. Results The 2016 revision of the ARIA guidelines provides updated and new recommendations about the pharmacological treatment of allergic rhinitis. It specifically addresses the relative merits of using oral H1-antihistamines, intranasal H1-antihistamines, intranasal corticosteroids, and leukotriene receptor antagonists either alone or their combination. The ARIA guideline panel provides specific recommendations for the choice of treatment, the rationale for the choice, and discusses specific considerations that clinicians and patients may want to review in order to choose the management most appropriate for an individual patient. Conclusions Appropriate treatment of allergic rhinitis may improve patients’ quality of life, school and work productivity. ARIA recommendations support patients, their caregivers, and health care providers in choosing the optimal treatment.
Background The nature of allergens and route and dose of exposure may affect the natural development of IgE and IgG responses. Objective We sought to investigate the natural IgE and IgG responses ...toward a large panel of respiratory and food allergens in subjects exposed to different respiratory allergen loads. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 340 adults of the EGEA (Epidemiological study of the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy) (170 with and 170 without asthma) cohort. IgE and IgG responses to 47 inhalant and food allergen components were analyzed in sera using allergen microarray and compared between 5 French regions according to the route of allergen exposure (inhaled vs food allergens). Results Overall 48.8% of the population had allergen-specific IgE levels of 0.3 ISAC standardized units (ISU) or more to at least 1 of the 47 allergens with no significant differences across the regions. For ubiquitous respiratory allergens (ie, grass, olive/ash pollen, house dust mites), specific IgE did not show marked differences between regions and specific IgG (≥0.5 ISU) was present in most subjects everywhere. For regionally occurring pollen allergens (ragweed, birch, cypress), IgE sensitization was significantly associated with regional pollen exposure. For airborne allergens cross-reacting with food allergens, frequent IgG recognition was observed even in regions with low allergen prevalence (Bet v 1) or for allergens less frequently recognized by IgE (profilins). Conclusions The variability in allergen-specific IgE and IgG frequencies depends on exposure, route of exposure, and overall immunogenicity of the allergen. Allergen contact by the oral route might preferentially induce IgG responses.
Background The role of IgE in patients with severe asthma is not fully understood. Objective We sought to investigate whether IgE to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins might be relevant to disease ...severity in adult asthmatic patients. Methods Specific IgE antibody concentrations in serum against enterotoxins, grass pollen (GP), and house dust mite allergens and total IgE levels were measured in adult cohorts of 69 control subjects, 152 patients with nonsevere asthma, and 166 patients with severe asthma. Severe asthma was defined as inadequately controlled disease despite high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus at least 2 other controller therapies, including oral steroids. Results Enterotoxin IgE positivity was significantly greater in patients with severe asthma (59.6%) than in healthy control subjects (13%, P < .001). Twenty-one percent of patients with severe asthma with enterotoxin IgE were considered nonatopic. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated significantly increased risks for enterotoxin IgE–positive subjects to have any asthma (OR, 7.25; 95% CI, 2.7-19.1) or severe asthma (OR, 11.09; 95% CI, 4.1-29.6) versus enterotoxin IgE–negative subjects. The presence of GP or house dust mite IgE antibodies was not associated with either significantly increased risk for asthma or severity. Oral steroid use and hospitalizations were significantly increased in patients with enterotoxin IgE and nonatopic asthma. GP IgE was associated with a higher FEV1 percent predicted value, and enterotoxin IgE was associated with a lower FEV1 percent predicted value. Conclusions Staphylococcal enterotoxin IgE antibodies, but not IgE against inhalant allergens, are risk factors for asthma severity. We hypothesize that the presence of enterotoxin IgE in serum indicates the involvement of staphylococcal superantigens in the pathophysiology of patients with severe asthma.
Background Nasal polyps often are associated with asthma. The phenotype of these patients is unknown. Objective To identify the mucosal factors associated with asthma comorbidity, we analyzed the ...inflammatory patterns of nasal polyps. Methods Nasal polyps from 70 Belgian patients, 34% with asthma, were analyzed for type of inflammation, T-cell cytokines, and IgE antibodies to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins. The same investigations were repeated in 93 Chinese patients with polyps, a group with a low asthma comorbidity rate (8%). Results In Belgian patients with polyps, 54% of samples showed eosinophilic inflammation. A classification tree evaluation identified IL-5 as the main positive determinant. Enterotoxin IgE in tissue (37%) was associated with significantly increased total IgE and eosinophil cationic protein concentrations. Expression of enterotoxin IgE, total IgE at greater than 1,442 kU/L, and eosinophil cationic protein at greater than 17,109 μg/L in samples with a total IgE concentration of greater than 246 kU/L significantly predicted asthma (odds ratio, 5.8-13). Only 7.5% of the samples from Chinese patients with polyps showed eosinophilic inflammation. IL-5 was confirmed as a positive determinant of eosinophilic inflammation, and enterotoxin IgE in tissue (17% of patients) was associated with significantly increased total IgE and eosinophil cationic protein concentrations. The expression of IL-5 or total IgE at greater than 790 kU/L in samples with an IL-5 concentration of greater than 194 pg/mL significantly predicted comorbid asthma (odds ratio, 17.2-96). Conclusion Mucosal inflammation in nasal polyps orchestrated by TH 2 cytokines and amplified by S aureus enterotoxins is characterized by an increased eosinophilic inflammation and formation of IgE antibodies. This phenotype is associated with comorbid asthma in white and Asian patients with nasal polyps.
IgE signatures to peanut allergen measured in early childhood allow predicting the likelihood of peanut allergy in adolescence. Peanut symptoms and Ara h 2 IgE >2.0 ISU-E at 4 years predict peanut ...allergy in adolescence.
Background Randomized trials provide evidence to inform treatment decisions. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement is a set of recommendations for the reporting of ...trials. Objective We sought to assess the quality of reporting allergen-specific immunotherapy trials according to CONSORT criteria. Methods The reporting of the procedure, randomization, dropouts, strict conduct of intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, and sample size calculation according to CONSORT were assessed in the 46 subcutaneous and 48 sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) blind, placebo-controlled randomized trials published between 1996 and 2009 in English. Results One subcutaneous immunotherapy (2.2%) and 3 SLIT (6.6%) trials met CONSORT Statement criteria. These were used for the registration of sublingual tablets to the European Medicines Agency. In subcutaneous immunotherapy, 16 (35%) studies reported a CONSORT flow chart, and 12 (26%) provided a description of dropouts. Adequate randomization was reported in 9 (35%) studies, and incomplete randomization was reported in 15 (33%). Power analysis was reported in 15 (33%) studies. In SLIT, 20 (42%) studies reported a CONSORT flow chart, and 16 (32%) a description of dropouts. ITT analysis was carried out in 1 (2.2%) SLIT study, and a modified ITT analysis was used in 1 (2.2%) subcutaneous immunotherapy study and 2 (4.4%) SLIT studies. Adequate randomization was reported in 6 (12%) studies, and incomplete randomization was reported in 16 (32%). Power analysis was reported in 15 (27%) studies. Conclusion As in other areas of medicine, the quality of reporting of most immunotherapy trials is low, and only 4.2% of SLIT randomized controlled trials met all of the criteria of the CONSORT Statement. Use of the CONSORT criteria should be encouraged.
Allergy and hypersensitivity intervention management procedures, such as desensitization and/or tolerance induction and immunotherapy, have not been pondered up to now in the content of International ...Classification of Diseases (ICD) context because the focus has been on prioritizing the condition implementations. Tremendous efforts have been devoted to implementing allergic and hypersensitivity conditions in the forthcoming ICD-11. However, we consider that it is crucial now to have nomenclature and classification universally accepted for these procedures to be able to provide scientifically consistent proposals into the new ICD-11 platform for the best practice parameters of our specialty. With the aim of promoting a harmonized comprehension and aligning it with the ICD-11 revision, we have reviewed the definitions and concepts currently used for desensitization and/or tolerance induction and immunotherapy. We strongly believe that this review is a key instrument to support the allergy specialty identity into the ICD-11 framework and serves as a platform to perform positive quality improvement in clinical practice.
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