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Idrose NS, Lodge CJ, Peters RL, Douglass JA, Koplin JJ, Lowe AJ, Perrett KP, Tang MLK, Newbigin EJ, Abramson MJ, Erbas B, Vicendese D, Dharmage SC. The role of short-term grass pollen exposure in food skin-prick test reactivity, food allergy, and eczema flares in children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2022; 33:e13862. [PMID: 36282135 PMCID: PMC9828461 DOI: 10.1111/pai.13862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the relationship between pollen and respiratory allergies is well-documented, the role of short-term pollen exposure in food allergy and eczema flares has not previously been explored. We aimed to investigate these associations in a population-based sample of children. METHODS We investigated 1- (n = 1108) and 6-year-old (n = 675) children in the grass pollen season from the HealthNuts cohort. Grass pollen concentrations were considered on the day of testing (lag 0), up to three days before (lag 1-lag 3) and cumulatively (lag 0-3). Associations between grass pollen and food skin-prick test reactivity (SPT ≥ 2 mm at age 1 year and ≥ 3 mm at age 6 years), eczema flares, challenge-confirmed food allergy, reaction threshold to oral food challenges (OFC), and serum food-specific IgE levels were analyzed using either logistic or quantile regression models. Atopy and family history of allergic disease were considered as potent effect modifiers. RESULTS Grass pollen at lag 0-3 (every 20 grains/m3 increase) was associated with an up to 1.2-fold increased odds of food SPT reactivity and eczema flares in 6-year-olds. In 1-year-olds, the associations were only observed for peanut in those with a family history of food allergy. Increasing grass pollen concentrations were associated with a lower reaction threshold to OFC and higher serum IgE levels in peanut-allergic 1-year-olds only. CONCLUSION Increasing grass pollen concentration was associated with increased risk of food SPT reactivity and eczema flares in children. The associations in peanut-allergic infants may be related to immune activation and/or peanut and grass pollen cross-reactivity leading to a lower reaction threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Sabrina Idrose
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caroline J Lodge
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rachel L Peters
- Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jo A Douglass
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer J Koplin
- Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adrian J Lowe
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kirsten P Perrett
- Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Allergy and Immunology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mimi L K Tang
- Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Allergy and Immunology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ed J Newbigin
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bircan Erbas
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Don Vicendese
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shyamali C Dharmage
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Food and Allergy Research (CFAR), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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The Epidemiology of Food Allergy in the Global Context. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15092043. [PMID: 30231558 PMCID: PMC6163515 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15092043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 248] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
There is a lack of high-quality evidence based on the gold standard of oral food challenges to determine food allergy prevalence. Nevertheless, studies using surrogate measures of food allergy, such as health service utilization and clinical history, together with allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE), provide compelling data that the prevalence of food allergy is increasing in both Western and developing countries. In Western countries, challenge-diagnosed food allergy has been reported to be as high as 10%, with the greatest prevalence noted among younger children. There is also growing evidence of increasing prevalence in developing countries, with rates of challenge-diagnosed food allergy in China and Africa reported to be similar to that in Western countries. An interesting observation is that children of East Asian or African descent born in a Western environment are at higher risk of food allergy compared to Caucasian children; this intriguing finding emphasizes the importance of genome-environment interactions and forecasts future increases in food allergy in Asia and Africa as economic growth continues in these regions. While cow’s milk and egg allergy are two of the most common food allergies in most countries, diverse patterns of food allergy can be observed in individual geographic regions determined by each country’s feeding patterns. More robust studies investigating food allergy prevalence, particularly in Asia and the developing world, are necessary to understand the extent of the food allergy problem and identify preventive strategies to cope with the potential increase in these regions.
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Lee AJ, Thalayasingam M, Lee BW. Food allergy in Asia: how does it compare? Asia Pac Allergy 2013; 3:3-14. [PMID: 23403837 PMCID: PMC3563019 DOI: 10.5415/apallergy.2013.3.1.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Asia is a populous and diverse region and potentially an important source of information on food allergy. This review aims to summarize the current literature on food allergy from this region, comparing it with western populations. A PubMed search using strategies "Food allergy AND Asia", "Food anaphylaxis AND Asia", and "Food allergy AND each Asian country" was made. Overall, 53 articles, published between 2005 and 2012, mainly written in English were reviewed. The overall prevalence of food allergy in Asia is somewhat comparable to the West. However, the types of food allergy differ in order of relevance. Shellfish is the most common food allergen from Asia, in part due to the abundance of seafood in this region. It is unique as symptoms vary widely from oral symptoms to anaphylaxis for the same individual. Data suggest that house dust mite tropomysin may be a primary sensitizer. In contrast, peanut prevalence in Asia is extremely low compared to the West for reasons not yet understood. Among young children and infants, egg and cow's milk allergy are the two most common food allergies, with prevalence data comparable to western populations. Differences also exist within Asia. Wheat allergy, though uncommon in most Asian countries, is the most common cause of anaphylaxis in Japan and Korea, and is increasing in Thailand. Current food allergy data from Asia highlights important differences between East and West, and within the Asian region. Further work is needed to provide insight on the environmental risk factors accounting for these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Joanne Lee
- Department of Paediatrics, Khoo Teck Puat National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore 119228, Singapore
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