International variations in associations of allergic markers and diseases in children: ISAAC Phase Two

• Published in: Allergy (Copenhagen) 2010-06, Vol.65 (6), p.766-775
• Main Authors: Weinmayr, G, Genuneit, J, Nagel, G, Björkstén, B, van Hage, M, Priftanji, A, Cooper, P, Rijkjärv, M.-A, von Mutius, E, Tsanakas, J, Forastiere, F, Doekes, G, Garrido, J.B, Suarez-Varela, M.M, Bråbäck, L, Strachan, D.P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: allergen-specific IgE; allergic disease; Allergies; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Markers; Biomarkers; Child; Children & youth; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dermatology; Eczema; Eczema - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity - diagnosis; Hypersensitivity - immunology; Immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulin E - blood; International; ISAAC Phase Two; Life Sciences; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Questionnaires; Respiratory Sounds; Respiratory Sounds - immunology; Rhinitis; Rhinitis - immunology; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; skin prick test; Skin Tests; Skin Tests - standards; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0105-4538; 1398-9995; 1398-9995
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.02283.x

To cite this article: Weinmayr G, Genuneit J, Nagel G, Björkstén B, van Hage M, Priftanji A, Cooper P, Rijkjärv M-A, von Mutius E, Tsanakas J, Forastiere F, Doekes G, Garrido JB, Suarez-Varela MM, Bråbäck L, Strachan DP, the ISAAC Phase Two Study Group. International variations in associations of allergic markers and diseases in children: ISAAC Phase Two. Allergy 2010; 65: 766-775. Circulating allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) and skin prick tests (SPT) are used to define atopy. Downregulation of local inflammatory responsiveness has been proposed to explain a low prevalence of positive SPTs in less affluent countries. We analysed the association between SPTs, total and allergen-specific IgE and their relationships to allergic symptoms in centres with diverse living conditions. Cross-sectional studies of stratified random samples of 8 to 12-year-old children (n = 7461) used the standardized methodology of Phase Two of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Symptoms of asthma, rhinitis and eczema were ascertained by parental questionnaires. Skin examination, hypertonic saline bronchial challenge, six aeroallergen SPTs and measurements of serum total IgE and sIgE were performed. In nonaffluent countries, a higher proportion of children with positive SPT had no detectable sIgE (range 37-61%) than in affluent countries (0-37%). Total serum IgE was associated with all disease outcomes among children with both positive SPT and sIgE (P < 0.001), but only with self-reported eczema in children with negative SPTs and negative sIgE. The international pattern of discordance between SPT and sIgE results did not support the downregulation hypothesis. Among children with no evidence of sensitization to common aeroallergens, increased total IgE contributes little to the risk of wheeze and rhinitis in the general population but may play a role in eczema.