Age-dependent tendency to become sensitized to other classes of aeroallergens in atopic asthmatic children

doi:10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62674-9

Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Volume 83, Issue 4, October 1999, Pages 335-340

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62674-9 Get rights and content

Background

Several longitudinal studies report that allergic sensitization increases with age from childhood to adulthood.

Objective

To evaluate whether an age-dependent tendency to become sensitized to new classes of allergens is present in atopic children, we studied retrospectively the changes in allergic sensitization in 165 asthmatic patients, monosensitized (ie, sensitized to only one class of allergens) in the first survey.

Methods

All the children (18 months to 8 years at enrollment), attended our outpatient clinics twice, at time intervals ranging from 2 to 10 years. On each visit, sensitization to house dust mites, pollens, animal danders, and molds was determined by skin prick test.

Results

We found that 43.6% (n = 72) of the patients became polysensitized on the second survey. According to age on first survey, the patients were further divided into two age groups: (1) group 1 = 18 months to <5 years old (n = 98) and (2) group 2 = 5 to 8 years (n = 67). The transition from monosensitization to polysensitization observed in the entire population was present in both groups: 47 (47.9%) of the 98 children in group 1 and 25 (37.3%) of the 67 children in group 2 showed to be sensitized to more classes of allergens, as compared with first survey. Both in the whole population and in the two age subgroups, the changes in the frequency of monosensitization between the two evaluations were time-dependent (P < .05, each Chi²). Finally, to investigate whether monosensitization to a specific class of allergens could favor the development of polysensitization, we evaluated the frequency of polysensitization in the second survey in patients originally monosensitized to house dust mites or to pollens. We found that of the 130 patients originally monosensitized to house dust mites, 59 became polysensitized (45.4%), while of the 28 patients originally monosensitized to pollens, 9 became polysensitized (32.1%) (P > .1). Similar results were obtained when patients were divided into age groups.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate that (1) monosensitized children are likely to become polysensitized and (2) house dust mite sensitization and, at a lower degree, pollen sensitization, apparently seem to play a "triggering" role in the development of polysensitization, since a high proportion of children originally monosensitized to house dust mites or to pollens became polysensitized.

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Citation Excerpt :
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: Supported by Grant “Ricerca Finalizzata Farmacogenetica, from Ministero della Sanità, Rome, Italy.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLESAge-dependent tendency to become sensitized to other classes of aeroallergens in atopic asthmatic children

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

J Allergy Clin Immunol

J Allergy Clin Immunol

J Allergy Clin Immunol

J Allergy Clin Immunol

J Allergy Clin Immunol

Epidemiology of asthma. In: Epidemiology of clinical allergy

Monogr Allergy

Changes in asthma prevalence: two survays fifteen years apart

Arch Dis Child

Atopic dermatitis. A genetic epidemiological study in a population-based twin sample

J Am Acad Dermatol

Increase of asthma and allergic rhinitis prevalence in young Italian men

Int Arch Allergy Immunol

Oleaceae pollinosis-a review

Int Arch Allergy Immunol

Allergenic significance of Cupressaceae pollen in some parts of the Mediterranean area

Allergy to pollens from Betulaceae and Corylaceae in a Mediterranean area (Genoa, Italy). A ten-year retrospective study

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol

Risk factors in early childhood for the development of atopic diseases

Allergy

The genetics of asthma

ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Age-dependent tendency to become sensitized to other classes of aeroallergens in atopic asthmatic children