Prevalence of and risk factors for atopic dermatitis: A birth cohort study of infants in southeast Turkey

Phenome-wide association study in 25,639 pregnant Chinese women reveals loci associated with maternal comorbidities and child health

Phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS) have been less focused on maternal diseases and maternal-newborn comorbidities, especially in the Chinese population. To enhance our understanding of the genetic basis of these related diseases, we conducted a PheWAS on 25,639 pregnant women and 14,151 newborns in the Chinese Han population using ultra-low-coverage whole-genome sequence (ulcWGS). We identified 2,883 maternal trait-associated SNPs associated with 26 phenotypes, among which 99.5% were near established genome-wide association study (GWAS) loci. Further refinement delineated these SNPs to 442 unique trait-associated loci (TALs) predicated on linkage disequilibrium R2 > 0.8, revealing that 75.6% demonstrated pleiotropy and 50.9% were located in genes implicated in analogous phenotypes. Notably, we discovered 21 maternal SNPs associated with 35 neonatal phenotypes, including two SNPs associated with identical complications in both mothers and children. These findings underscore the importance of integrating ulcWGS data to enrich the discoveries derived from traditional PheWAS approaches.

Global Burden of Atopic Dermatitis: Examining Disease Prevalence Across Pediatric and Adult Populations World-Wide

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a common, pruritic inflammatory skin disease associated with marked disease burden and substantial health care costs. AD does not discriminate between populations; prevalence estimates vary widely with most studies focusing on general or pediatric populations and a limited number of studies in adult populations solely. The costs of treating AD are staggering. Studies that examine differences in prevalence may be difficult to compare due to differences in study designs. However, understanding the prevalence of AD across populations is critical if we are to improve the lives of patients and caregivers living with this disease.

Smoke exposure and childhood atopic eczema and food allergy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus on the effect of timing and type of smoke exposure on early allergy development. This study aimed to determine the relationship between early eczema or food allergy/hypersensitivity development in children by firstly investigating the effect of smoke exposure across critical development periods and secondly by analyzing effects of parental atcive or passive smoking.

METHODS

Four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase) were searched in May 2022 and assessed by two independent reviewers. Case-control, cross-sectional or cohort studies reporting on smoke exposure from preconception to postnatal periods and atopic eczema, food allergy and/or hypersensitivity outcomes by age 3 years were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. Random effects model was used to estimate the pooled risk ratios.

RESULTS

From 1689 identified records, 32 studies with nearly 190,000 subjects were included. Parental smoking during preconception, pregnancy and postnatal periods was generally not associated with the risk of eczema, food allergy and food sensitisation development by age 3 years. Maternal active smoking during pregnancy was negatively associated with self-reported doctor diagnosis of eczema (RR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.77-0.98; I2  = 50.56) and maternal passive smoking during pregnancy was positively associated with clinician assessment of eczema in one study (RR = 1.38; 95% CI 1.06-1.79).

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlighted the importance of in utero programming in early-life allergy development. Despite the weak evidence, our results suggest pregnant women should minimise their contact with second-hand smoke to prevent offspring eczema development. There is a need for greater utilisation of objective allergy assessments in future studies.

Comparing the Diagnostic Accuracy of Measures of Maternal Diet During Pregnancy for Offspring Allergy Outcomes: The Healthy Start Study

BACKGROUND

Allergic diseases in children are increasing. Although maternal diet quality in pregnancy may be protective, it is unclear which measure of maternal diet best predicts offspring diseases.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the associations between multiple diet measures and allergy outcomes, and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the measures for the prediction of allergy outcomes.

METHODS

Maternal diet during pregnancy was measured using a validated instrument, and scored using 5 measures: the maternal diet index (MDI), Healthy Eating Index, total diet diversity, healthy diet diversity, and unhealthy diet diversity. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models assessed associations between maternal diet measures and offspring allergy outcomes up to age 4 years. The diagnostic accuracy of the diet measures was compared.

RESULTS

There were significant associations between MDI (odds ratio [OR], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.70-0.87), Healthy Eating Index (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.99), and healthy diet diversity scores (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.98) during pregnancy and the primary combined outcome "any allergy excluding wheeze" in children up to age 4 years. Neither maternal total diet diversity (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.95-1.03) nor unhealthy diet diversity scores (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.98-1.13) were associated with the "any allergy excluding wheeze" outcome. For all outcomes studied, except for food allergy, there was a significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy between the 5 measures of maternal diet. The area under the curve for MDI was highest for every disease outcome, although not always significantly higher.

CONCLUSIONS

Better quality and higher diversity of a woman's diet during pregnancy, measured in various ways, is associated with offspring allergy outcomes, with healthy foods associated with decreased risk, and unhealthy foods associated with a higher risk. The MDI, which appropriately weighted both healthy and unhealthy foods, best predicted childhood allergic disease.

Atopic dermatitis incidence and risk factors in young adults in Castellon (Spain): A prospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION

There are few atopic dermatitis (AD) incidence cohort studies in young adults, the etiology of this disease remains obscure, and AD risk factors in adults are not well understood. The objective of this study was to estimate AD ten-year incidence and prevalence in a cohort of adolescent aged 14-16 at inception in Castellon province in Valencia Region, Spain and describe related risk factors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

From 2002 to 2012, a population-based prospective cohort study was carried out. Questionnaires from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) were used with an additional questionnaire for related factors completed by participants and their parents, respectively, in 2002. In 2012 the same questionnaires were completed by the participants' through a telephone interview, and incidence and prevalence of AD were estimated. Directed acyclic graphs, Poisson regression and inverse probability weighted regression adjustment were used.

RESULTS

The participation rate was 79.5% (1435/1805) with AD lifetime prevalence of 34.9% and AD incidence of 13.5 per 1000 person years. Females presented higher prevalence and incidence than males. After adjustment significant risk factors were being female, history of asthma or allergic rhinitis, family history of AD, history of respiratory infections, history of bronchitis, history of pneumonia, history of sinusitis, and birthplace outside Castellon province. The highest AD population attributable risks were female, 30.3%, and history of respiratory infections 15.3%. Differences with AD childhood risk factors were found.

CONCLUSIONS

AD incidence in our cohort was high and several risks factors were related to AD.

The fetal/placental weight ratio is associated with the incidence of atopic dermatitis in female infants during the first 14 months: The Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children (HBC Study)

Background

Among atopic diseases, atopic dermatitis is the most common allergic disease in children and influences both infantile and parental quality of life.

Objective

The present study investigated the sex-specific relationship between the fetal/placental weight ratio and The incidence of atopic dermatitis in infants during the first 14 months of life.

Methods

Study participants were 922 infants (462 female and 460 male) from singleton pregnancies enrolled in the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children (HBC Study) after the exclusion of 298 with missing data on atopic dermatitis. The enrollment of infants with atopic dermatitis was based on a positive response from parents regarding whether a physician had ever diagnosed their child with atopic dermatitis by 14 months of age. The two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test or χ² test was adopted for descriptive analyses where appropriate. Unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the infantile incidence of atopic dermatitis were compared using logistic regression analyses.

Results

Maternal and perinatal factors did not correlate with the incidence of infantile atopic dermatitis. Fetal/placental weight ratio, but not birth or placental weight, correlated with the incidence of atopic dermatitis in female, but not male, infants. A correlation was still observed after adjustments for maternal allergies, gestational age at birth, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and household income at birth (odds ratio: 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.33).

Conclusion

We speculated that the intrauterine fetal environment, represented by a relatively small placenta, programs a predisposition in only female infants to atopic dermatitis during the first 14 months of life.

How does parental history of atopic disease predict the risk of atopic dermatitis in a child? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Parental history of atopic disease is a well-established risk factor for the development of atopic dermatitis (AD), but several aspects of this association remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the association of parental history of atopic disease with AD in offspring.

METHODS

We searched PubMed and EMBASE through June 2018 for relevant records and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CI were calculated using random-effects models.

RESULTS

A total of 163 records covering 149 unique studies were included. Of these, 119 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Individuals with parental history of atopic disease had increased odds of AD (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.65-1.99). Parental asthma (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.18-2.05) and allergic rhinitis (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.34-2.11) had a smaller effect than AD (OR, 3.30; 95% CI, 2.46-4.42). The effect of maternal and paternal history was comparable for all atopic diseases. An increase in odds was observed when comparing the effect of having 1 (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.15-1.47) or 2 atopic parents (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.83-2.36), as well as having a parent with 1 (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.28-1.74) or more atopic diseases (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.92-2.81).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence-based risk estimates that may guide physicians who counsel parents with a history of atopic disease about their children's risk of AD. This information is of particular importance for future efforts toward establishing prophylactic interventions for AD on a general population level.

Breastfeeding and Atopic Dermatitis Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

OBJECTIVES

The effect of breastfeeding on atopic dermatitis (AD) remains controversial. To determine the association -between breastfeeding and AD, we conducted an updated meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library was conducted. Studies meeting the predetermined criteria were evaluated by 2 authors independently. The pooled relative risk (RR) adjusted for confounders with its 95% CI was calculated by a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was explored by subgroup analysis and meta-regression.

RESULTS

A total of 27 studies were included for meta-analysis. The pooled estimates for the effect of total and exclusive breastfeeding on AD were 1.01 (95% CI 0.93-1.10) and 0.99 (95% CI 0.88-1.11), respectively. Heterogeneity was substantial across studies (total: p < 0.01 or I2 = 65.2%; exclusive: p < 0.01 or I2 = 72.3%). There was a weak evidence for a protective effect of breastfeeding against AD in cohorts with atopic heredity (total: RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.74-0.98; exclusive: RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.97). In cohorts without atopic heredity, the effect shifted to the risk side when limited to exclusive breastfeeding (RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.02-1.40) while it dropped towards null when limited to total breastfeeding (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.94-1.31).

CONCLUSIONS

There is no association between AD and breastfeeding, regardless of total or exclusive breastfeeding patterns. There is some evidence for a protective function of exclusive and total breastfeeding in a cohort with atopic heredity. The effect shifts to the risk side in cohorts without atopic heredity. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution because heterogeneity is evident.

Efficacy of a shower cream and a lotion with skin-identical lipids in healthy subjects with atopic dry skin

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, pruritic inflammatory skin disease that adversely affects quality of life.

AIMS

The current study evaluates the efficacy of a shower cream and a lotion, each with skin-identical lipids and emollients, in the treatment of atopic dry skin of subjects with a history of atopic condition.

METHODS

In all, 40 healthy females with clinically dry skin on the lower legs were enrolled in the study and underwent 4 weeks of daily use of the shower cream and 2 additional weeks of both the shower cream and the body lotion. Subjects were evaluated at day 0, week 4, and week 6. Skin barrier function was assessed by Tewameter^® , skin hydration by Corneometer^® , smoothness and desquamation by Visioscan^® , and stratum corneum architecture by reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). The investigator assessed the degree of dryness, roughness, redness, cracks, tingling and itch, and subjective self-assessment evaluated the perception of skin soothing, smoothness, and softness.

RESULTS

Skin barrier function and skin moisture maintenance were significantly improved using the shower cream. The lotion with physiological lipids, together with the shower cream, also improved skin barrier function and moisture. Both the shower cream and the body lotion reduced clinical dryness, roughness, redness, cracks, tingling and itch, according to the dermatologist, and increased soothing, smoothness, and softness, according to the subjects of the study.

CONCLUSION

The combination of a shower cream and a lotion with physiological lipids efficiently restores skin barrier function and increases skin hydration, becoming an effective skin-care option for patients with atopic dry skin.

Maternal sensitivity and social support protect against childhood atopic dermatitis

BACKGROUND

Many studies have identified associations between qualities of maternal-child relationships and childhood asthma, but few have examined associations with childhood atopic dermatitis (AD), a common precursor to asthma. Moreover, maternal psychological distress, including prenatal and postnatal depression, anxiety and stress, may increase risk, while social support from partners may reduce risk for childhood AD. We sought to uncover the association between maternal-infant relationship qualities (maternal sensitivity towards infant behavioral signals, controlling behavior, and unresponsiveness) and child AD after accounting for risk (i.e., prenatal and postnatal maternal depression, anxiety and stress) and protective (i.e., social support) factors.

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected on a subsample of 242 women and their infants enrolled during pregnancy in the ongoing Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition cohort study. Inclusion criteria required mothers to be >16 years of age, English speaking and <22 weeks gestational age at enrollment. Data on depression, anxiety and stress in the prenatal and postnatal periods and physician diagnosis of childhood AD at 18 months were gathered via maternal report. Maternal sensitivity, unresponsiveness and controlling behaviours were assessed via videotaped observations using the Child-Adult Relationship Experimental (CARE)-Index at 6 months of infant age.

RESULTS

Higher maternal sensitivity, or the inability of the mother to appropriately understand and respond to infant needs based on behavioral signals, predicted reduced odds of AD independent of and in combination with low prenatal and postnatal anxiety and high paternal support. After adjustment, higher maternal controlling behaviours and unresponsiveness also predicted greater odds of AD.

CONCLUSIONS

Low maternal sensitivity is a risk factor for childhood AD, independently and in combination with perinatal anxiety and low social support. Thus, interventions that improve maternal-infant relationship quality, especially sensitivity, reduce anxiety and improve social support from partners could reduce odds of childhood AD.

Clinical Features of Food Allergy during the 1st Year of Life: The ADAPAR Birth Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Although food allergies (FAs) occur most commonly during the 1st year of life, there is limited information available regarding the epidemiology of FAs. In this study, we investigated the incidence of FA and the associated risk factors during the 1st year of life in southeast Turkey.

METHODS

This study is a prospective evaluation of 1,377 infants born at the Balcalı Hospital (Çukurova University) and includes four routine follow-up assessments until the age of 1 year. At birth, a physical examination was performed, cord blood samples were taken, and parents completed a baseline questionnaire. Follow-up visits were scheduled at 3, 6 and 12 months and included the infants' physical examination and a follow-up questionnaire. A skin prick test (SPT) was performed and food-specific IgE levels were measured at 6 and 12 months. Telephone interviews were conducted when the infants were 9 months of age, and the questionnaire was administered. The diagnosis of FA was based on food-specific IgE levels, positive SPT results, associated clinical findings and an oral food challenge (OFC) test.

RESULTS

Patient histories, physical examinations and laboratory results indicated a possible FA in 90 infants (6.5%) during the 1st year of life. All of them underwent OFC testing with the suspected foods, and FA was confirmed in 33 cases (2.4%). Cow's milk allergy was the major cause of FA. Skin reactions were major clinical findings in FA. A family history of atopy was identified as the major risk factor for FA.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence and risk factors of FA in our region are consistent with those reported in the literature.

The ADAPAR Birth Cohort Study: Food Allergy Results at Five Years and New Insights

BACKGROUND

Although food allergy (FA) is often a transient condition during childhood, when and in whom FA will resolve can be affected by many factors. In this study, we analyzed the data at 5 years on 33 children diagnosed with FA in the ADAPAR (Adana Pediatric Allergy Research) birth cohort study in southern Turkey.

METHODS

Thirty-three infants detected as having FA at the end of their first year in the ADAPAR study were assessed every 6 months until the age of 5 years. Each follow-up included a clinical examination, questionnaire, blood sampling and a skin-prick test.

RESULTS

Culprit allergens were cow's milk (n = 20), eggs (n = 17), chicken meat (n = 1) and bananas (n = 1). Of the 17 patients with egg allergy, 14 developed complete tolerance and 1 developed partial tolerance (i.e. tolerance to baked food). Of the 20 patients with milk allergy, complete tolerance was observed in 16 and partial tolerance in 1. The mean age of tolerance to egg was 22.4 ± 7.5 months and to cow's milk, it was 20.9 ± 1.1 months. Complete tolerance developed in 1 case allergic to chicken meat and in 1 case allergic to banana. Other allergic conditions were also determined: allergic rhinitis in 27.2%, atopic dermatitis in 21.2%, asthma in 9%, urticaria in 9% and drugs in 9%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm early and high tolerance rates before school age in children with food allergies that started in infancy. This will help pediatricians to give more informed advice to parents of infants with cow's milk or hen's egg allergy.