Abstract
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 2). 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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 335-340 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 1999 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
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Age-dependent tendency to become sensitized to other classes of aeroallergens in atopic asthmatic children. / Silvestri, Michela; Rossi, Giovanni A.; Cozzani, Simonetta; Pulvirenti, Grazia; Fasce, Lilia.
In: Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Vol. 83, No. 4, 10.1999, p. 335-340.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Age-dependent tendency to become sensitized to other classes of aeroallergens in atopic asthmatic children
AU - Silvestri, Michela
AU - Rossi, Giovanni A.
AU - Cozzani, Simonetta
AU - Pulvirenti, Grazia
AU - Fasce, Lilia
PY - 1999/10
Y1 - 1999/10
N2 - 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 2). 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.
AB - 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 2). 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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M3 - Article
C2 - 10541426
AN - SCOPUS:0032747878
VL - 83
SP - 335
EP - 340
JO - Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
JF - Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
SN - 1081-1206
IS - 4
ER -