Prevalence of food allergen and aeroallergen sensitization among children in Sichuan province

IgE-Mediated Legume Allergy: A Pediatric Perspective

Legumes are an inexpensive and essential protein source worldwide. The most consumed legumes include peanuts, soybeans, lentils, lupines, peas, common bean and chickpeas. In addition, the food industry is growing interested in expanding the use of legumes to partially replace or substitute cereals. Legumes were described to cause IgE-mediated allergies, and their growing use may also increase the incidence of allergy. The epidemiology of legume allergy varies by region; peanuts and soybeans are the legumes most involved in food allergies in Western countries, whereas lentils, peas, and chickpeas are reported as culprit allergens mainly in the Mediterranean area and India. This review, edited by the Italian Society of Pediatric Allergology and Immunology, summarizes the scientific literature on legume allergy in children and proposes a diagnostic workup and therapeutic approach.

The B Cell Response and Formation of Allergenic and Anti-Allergenic Antibodies in Food Allergy

Food allergies are a growing public health concern worldwide, especially in children and young adults. Allergen-specific IgE plays a central role in the pathogenesis of food allergies, but their titers poorly correlate with allergy development. Host immune systems yield allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgE and IgG subclasses with low or high affinities and differential Fc N-glycosylation patterns that can affect the allergic reaction to food in multiple ways. High-affinity IgE is required to induce strong mast cell activation eventually leading to allergic anaphylaxis, while low-affinity IgE can even inhibit the development of clinically relevant allergic symptoms. IgA and IgG antibodies can inhibit IgE-mediated mast cell activation through various mechanisms, thereby protecting IgE-positive individuals from allergy development. The production of IgE and IgG with differential allergenic potential seems to be affected by the signaling strength of individual B cell receptors, and by cytokines from T cells. This review provides an overview of the diversity of the B cell response and the diverse roles of antibodies in food allergy.

Allergen Sensitization in Patients with Skin Diseases in Shanghai, China

Introduction

Allergen distribution has obvious geographical characteristics. Understanding local epidemiological data may provide evidence-based strategies for the prevention and management of disease. We investigated the distribution of allergen sensitization in patients with skin diseases in Shanghai, China.

Methods

Data from tests for serum-specific immunoglobulin E were collected from 714 patients with three skin diseases who visited the Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital from January 2020 to February 2022. The prevalence of 16 allergen species, as well as age, sex, and disease-group differences in allergen sensitization, were investigated.

Results

Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were the most common aeroallergen species to cause allergic sensitization in patients with skin diseases, whereas shrimp and crab were the most common food-allergen species. Children were more susceptible to various allergen species. With regard to sex differences, males were sensitized to more allergen species than females. Patients suffering from atopic dermatitis were sensitized to more allergenic species than patients with non-atopic eczema or urticaria.

Conclusion

Allergen sensitization in patients with skin diseases in Shanghai differed by age, sex, and disease type. Knowing the prevalence of allergen sensitization across age, sex, and disease type may help facilitate diagnostic and intervention efforts, and guide the treatment and management of skin diseases in Shanghai.

Analysis of Risk Factors for Otitis Media with Effusion in Children with Adenoid Hypertrophy

Objective

This study aimed to explore whether children with AH have a higher obesity prevalence and analyze the risk factors for otitis media with effusion(OME) in AH children.

Methods

AH patients aged 3-12 years old that were hospitalized in our hospital for adenoidectomy from June 2020 to September 2022 were included in this study. Height and weight were measured to calculate the body mass index, weight for height and weight z-score to evaluate the development of AH children. Propensity score matching was applied to minimize patient selection bias and adjust for confounding factors to analyze the risk factors for OME in children with AH.

Results

A total of 887 children with AH were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of overweight or obesity was higher in children with AH than the control group. The size of adenoids is significantly different between AH children with and without OME. For children aged over 5, there are significantly higher counts of white blood cells, neutrophils, and monocytes in the AH children with OME than those without OME. More individuals represent to be atopic in children with OME than those without OME.

Conclusion

The obstruction of the Eustachian tube is the most important factor of OME in AH children. It seems that there is no apparent correlation between OME and atopic conditions in AH children. In addition to surgical resection of adenoids, active control of infection and inflammation are also important to prevent OME for AH children aged over 5.

Allergens sensitization among children with allergic diseases in Shanghai, China: age and sex difference

Background

The distribution of allergens has geographic characteristics. Local epidemiological data provides evidence-based strategies for the prevention and management of allergic diseases. Age and sex differences may exist in the prevalence of sensitivity to various allergens. We investigated the distribution of common allergens in allergic children in Shanghai, southeastern China.

Methods

39,926 children 1 month to 18 years of age diagnosed with allergic diseases were tested for the presence of serum-specific Immunoglobulins E (sIgE) to 17 allergens common to this region, using a reversed enzyme allergosorbent test.

Results

25,757 (64.5%) of the subjects showed elevated sIgE to at least one of the tested allergens. House mite and dust mite were the most common aeroallergens, while egg and milk were the most common food allergens. The most common aeroallergens and food allergens were similar among each allergic disease. By age-group analysis, the positive rates of aeroallergens were higher at older age. Several peaks of sensitization to food allergens were observed in children between 1 and 3 years of age for eggs, milk, nut, crab and shrimp. In addition, the sensitization to beef and mango was highest in children 3–6 years of age. The rate of positive sIgE detection was higher in males than females for all the tested allergens except cockroach, trees and beef. Considering the interplay between sex and ages and other related components (including season, monthly temperature, humidity, air quality index, test rate of patients), the sIgE positive rates of the main aeroallergens increased with age, while the main food allergens decreased; males are more sensitive to several aeroallergens (including dust mite, house mite, cat epithelium, dog epithelium and mulberry).

Conclusions

House mite, dust mite, milk, and egg are major allergens in Shanghai. Children at younger age are more sensitive to food allergens, while increasing overall prevalence of sensitization can be found with increasing age. Boys have higher positive rates of sIgE responses than girls. Knowledge of the prevalence of allergen sensitization in different age groups and sex may help facilitate diagnosis and intervention efforts to mitigate the impact of allergic diseases in this large geographical region. This approach may be extrapolated to other regions.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12931-022-02008-7.