Understanding and controlling asthma in Latin America: A review of recent research informed by the SCAALA programme

Assessing the asthma-related burden of disease in Latin American and Caribbean countries: a sociodemographic perspective

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to characterize the burden of asthma-related issues in Latin American and Caribbean countries from 1990 to 2019 and to assess their relationship with the sociodemographic index (SDI).

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional analysis with an ecological approach was conducted.

METHODS

The disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and the SDI data were obtained from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. Linear regression models were used to evaluate the relationship of interest.

RESULTS

During the study period, a total of 41.7 million DALYs were accounted, with the highest rates observed in children aged under 5 years (651, uncertainty interval [UI]: 369 to 1037 per 100,000) and females (342, UI: 241 to 471 per 100,000). In the multiple regression model based on data from 2019, a significant negative association was observed between the log-transformed DALY rates and the SDI. Specifically, for each unit increase in the SDI, asthma-related DALY rates decreased by an average of 0.97 % (95 % confidence interval: 0.48-1.00 %).

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights heterogeneous age, gender, and country-related variations in asthma rates across Latin American and Caribbean countries and emphasizes the influence of sociodemographic factors on its burden.

The Relationship of Parasite Allergens to Allergic Diseases

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Helminth infections modify the natural history of allergic diseases, by either decreasing or increasing their symptoms. Several helminth components are involved in the increasing of the allergic response and symptoms, overcoming the concomitant immunosuppression of helminthiases. However, the role of individual IgE-binding molecules in this process remains to be defined.

RECENT FINDINGS

We updated the list of helminth allergens and IgE-binding molecules, their effects on asthma presentation, and their impact on allergy diagnosis. Data from genetic and epigenetic studies of ascariasis are analyzed. A new species-specific A. lumbricoides allergen has been discovered, with potential use in molecular diagnosis. Most helminth IgE-binding components are not officially classified as allergens in the WHO/IUIS database, although there is evidence of their influence increasing allergic manifestations. Further immunological characterization of these components is needed to better understand their mechanisms of action and evaluate the ways in which they can influence the diagnosis of allergy.