Pollen‐induced allergic rhinitis in 1360 Italian children: Comorbidities and determinants of severity

• DOI: 10.1111/pai.12136
• Publication Date: 2013-11-18T06:05:26Z
• Authors: Arianna Dondi; Salvatore Tripodi; Valentina Panetta; Riccardo Asero; Andrea Di Rienzo ...; Annamaria Bianchi; Antonio Carlucci; Giampaolo Ricci; Federica Bellini; Nunzia Maiello; Michele Miraglia ...; Tullio Frediani; Simona Sodano; Iride Dello Iacono; Francesco Macrì; Valerio Massaccesi; Carlo Caffarelli; Laura Rinaldi; Maria Francesca P...; Elena Varin; Diego Peroni; Iolanda Chinellato; Loredana Chini; Viviana Moschese; Sandra Lucarelli; Roberto Bernardini; Giuseppe Pingitore; Umberto Pelosi; Mariangela Tosca; Francesco Paravati; Stefania La Grutta; Paolo Meglio; Mauro Calvani; Mario Plebani; Paolo Maria Matri...
• Keywords: Oral allergy syndrome

Pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR) is highly prevalent and rapidly evolving during childhood. General practitioners may not be fully aware of the nature severity symptoms experienced by patients might underestimate prevalence moderate or severe disease. Thus, relevance early diagnosis intervention overlooked.To investigate pollen-induced AR its determinants in Italian children referred to allergy specialists who had never received specific immunotherapy (SIT).Children (age 4-18 yr) affected undergone SIT were recruited between May 2009 June 2011 16 pediatric outpatient clinics 14 cities. Recruited children's parents answered standardized questionnaires on atopic diseases (International Study Allergy Asthma Childhood, Allergic Rhinitis Impact Asthma, Global Initiative for Asthma). The underwent skin-prick test (SPT) with several airborne allergens six food allergens. Information socio-demographic factors, parental history diseases, education, perinatal events, breastfeeding, nutrition environmental exposure life was collected through an informatics platform shared whole network clinical centers (AllergyCARD™).Among 1360 (68% males, age 10.5 ± 3.4 yr), 695 (51%) moderate-to-severe AR, 533 (39%) asthma, 325 (23.9%) oral syndrome (OAS). Reported onset average at 5.3 2.8 yr, mean duration from 5.2 3.3 yr. Only 6.2% pollen-monosensitized, 84.9% sensitized ≥3 pollens. A longer significantly associated (p 0.004), asthma 0.030), OAS comorbidities < 0.001).This nationwide study raise awareness among have pollen SIT. strong association markers disease needs replication longitudinal studies, while suggesting that countrywide initiatives earlier should planned.