Asthma ; etiology ; Congresses as Topic ; Humans ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; etiology

Air Pollution ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; etiology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible effects of meteorological and environmental factors on allergic rhinitis of children. METHOD: Daily numbers of outpatients consulting general practitioners for AR between Jan 1 2007 and Dec 31 2011 were obtained from the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Children Medical Center. Daily maximum, average and minimum temperatures and humidity and wind power for Shanghai of the same 5 years were obtained from the Shanghai Meteorological Office. Air Quality data was provided by the Shanghai Municipal Environmental Protection Monitoring Center on daily SO2, NO2 and PM10, the average of O3 per 8 hours. The data was available as average values derived from the data of 6 state comtrolled monitoring stations distributed across Shanghai. Non-parametric generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the highly non-linear or non-monotonic exposure-response relationship between meteorological and environmental factors and daily outpatient visiting for AR of children. RESULT: The daily numbers of AR children in outpatients department in this study were highest in the average daily temperature 11°C and 21°C. It showed two peak. But as the humidity increased, daily numbers of outpatients of AR children went down, indicating that the higy humidity has protective effect. Every 10 microg/m3 increase of environmental pollutants O3, SO2 and PM10 was linked to 1.95%, 1.19% and 0.33% increase in the number of visitors, respectively, suggesting the air pollution may increase the risk of onset of AR in children. CONCLUSION Meteorological and environmental factors have important effects on AR in children.
Child ; Climate ; Humans ; Humidity ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; etiology ; Temperature ; Weather

The incidence of allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and food allergy) increased gradually over recent decades, and an increasing number of patients are suffering from allergic diseases, thus the rise in allergic disease incidence warrants concern. Researchers have already had a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of allergic diseases. Mounting evidence has shown that the eosinophils play an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases. Many systematic studies have been conducted about eosinophils, therefore, this review will provide a summary on recent progress in eosinophils and allergic diseases.
Asthma ; etiology ; immunology ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; etiology ; immunology ; Eczema ; etiology ; immunology ; Eosinophils ; Food Hypersensitivity ; etiology ; immunology ; Humans ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; etiology ; immunology

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to find out the impact of micro-ecological environment on the incidence of allergic rhinitis after developing a model of allergic rhinitis on mice. METHOD: Sixty mice were randomly divided into GF group (n=30) and SPF group (n=30). Mice of GF group were fed in the germ-free environment and mice of SPF group were fed in the specific pathogen-free environment. Then each group were randomly divided into model group (20 mice) and control group (10 mice). Establish allergic rhinitis model in the mice of model group using ovalbumin (OVA) at the age of 6 weeks, observe and score the corresponding symptoms and signs that could been induced. Stain with hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining method for nasal mucosa to observe the morphological changes. Using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay to detect the concentration of IgE, IFN-γ and IL-4 in the peripheral blood serum. RESULT: The chi square test showed that the incidence of allergic rhinithis in the mice of GF group was significantly higher than that in the SPF group (P< 0. 05). HE staining showed that the nasal mucosas of allergic rhinitis positive reaction mice were highly congestive and edematous and had a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration, while there was no abnormal morphology of nasal mucosas in mice with no allergic rhinitis reaction. EOS counting displayed that the number of eosinophilic cells in nasal mucosa of positive allergic rhinitis reaction mice was increased significantly. The concentration of IgE and IL-4 in the serum of positive allergic rhinitis reaction mice was highly increased (P <0. 05), and IFN-γ was significantly decreased (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION The difference of micro-ecological environment may play a key role in the occurrence of allergic rhinitis in mice.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Environment ; Incidence ; Interleukin-4 ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Nasal Mucosa ; Ovalbumin ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; etiology

Adolescent ; Betula ; immunology ; Female ; Food Hypersensitivity ; etiology ; Humans ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; complications

Exposure to traffic-related air pollutants(TRAP)has been implicated in airway allergic diseases.Recent findings include epidemiologic and mechanistic studies that shed new light on the impact of TRAP on allergic rhinitis(AR)and the biology underlying this impact.These studies have found that oxidative stress induced by TRAP could affect the axis of epithelial cell-dendritic cell-T cell towards a T-helper 2 immune response,which is the major mechanism between TRAP and AR.Further,epigenetics and microRNA might be involved in this process.Our review will summarize the most recent findings in each of these areas.
Air Pollutants ; toxicity ; Air Pollution ; Humans ; Oxidative Stress ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; etiology ; Vehicle Emissions ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo study the characteristics of allergic reactions to common aeroallergens in young children with wheezing or allergic diseases by examining the results of skin prick test in children under 5 years old.

METHODSA total of 196 children under 5 years old, from a district of Changsha City sampled between September 1 to December 31, 2010, were assigned into two groups according to the presence of wheezing or allergic diseases: allergen screening (n=102) and control (n=94). Skin prick tests were performed on both groups.

RESULTSThe positive rate of skin prick test in the allergen screening group was 61.8% (63/102), and this was significantly higher than in the control group (9.6%, 9/94; P<0.05). In the allergen screening group, the positive rate of skin prick test in children with both recurrent wheezing and allergic rhinitis was significantly higher than in children with wheezing alone (P<0.05). The frequency of wheezing was positively correlated with a positive skin prick test (r=0.91; P<0.05). The positive rate of skin prick test for mites was significantly higher than for other aeroallergens (24.2% vs 3.5%; P<0.05) in the allergen screening group. Skin prick testing of the children for dermatophagoides farinae showed a higher positive rate than for dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (50.0% vs 14.7%; P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSWheezing in early childhood may be associated with the occurrence of asthma. Skin prick testing contributes to the diagnosis of allergic diseases and assessment of allergic reactions to aeroallergens in children with wheezing.

Asthma ; etiology ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Respiratory Sounds ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Skin Tests

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics of ocular symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and the impact of the ocular symptoms on patients' quality of life. METHOD: AR patients' history and clinical data were collected and analyzed. One hundred cases were extracted from adult patients with and without ocular symptoms in each group and their quality of life were evaluated using rhino-conjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ). RESULT: Totally 1119 cases were collected and 859 cases had ocular symptoms. Of the patients with ocular symptoms, 582 cases were mild, 234 cases were moderate, 43 cases were severe. Eye itching was the most common symptom, followed by tears, hyperemia and swelling. Patients with ocular symptoms had longer disease history than non ocular symptom group (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between ocular and nasal symptoms (P < 0.01); patients with ocular symptoms had more severe nasal symptoms than patients without ocular problems; while patients with moderate to severe AR had more severe ocular symptoms than mild AR patients (P < 0.01). Female patients had higher incidence (P < 0.05) and ocular symptoms score (P < 0.05) than male. Children less than 10 years old had a relative lower incidence and score of ocular symptoms. While the incidence and score had an increasing trend for patients older than fifty. There was no difference regarding the type and number of allergen in the patients with and without ocular symptom. Moreover, patients with ocular symptoms had higher scores in the domains of non-nose/eye symptoms, practical problems, ocular symptoms, emotional function and total score in RQLQ than patients without ocular symptom. CONCLUSION It was common for the AR patients to have ocular symptoms, and ocular symptoms had obvious influence on the patients' quality of life. So controlling of the ocular symptoms should not be ignored during the diagnosis and treatment of AR.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Allergens ; Child ; Eye Diseases ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; complications ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; complications ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether sublingual immunotherapy(SLIT) can take effect during the early phase in allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. METHOD: Sixty subjects diagnosed as allergic rhinoconjunctivitis were enrolled and divided into the SLIT group and the control group. The daily symptom and medication scores were recorded and analyzed. RESULT: After 4 weeks treatments, the daily symptoms score had significantly reduced in SLIT group(P<0. 05). After 6, 8, 10 weeks treatments, the daily symptoms scores of subjects in the SLIT group had all shown continuous reduction, with no consumption of medication. The comparison between daily symptom score at 4th week and those in 6th week or 8th week or 10th week in the SLIT group had shown no significant difference (all P > 0.05). Whereas, the daily symptoms score and daily medication score in control group had shown changes with fluctuations. The correlation analysis had indicated that the daily medication score in the control group had a significant negative correlation with the daily symptom score (F = 554.9, P < 0.01). No serious adverse events occurred in this study. CONCLUSION SLIT could take effect in patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis sensitive to house dust mite as fast as the 4th week.
Administration, Sublingual ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Allergens ; immunology ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Conjunctivitis, Allergic ; etiology ; therapy ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyroglyphidae ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; etiology ; therapy ; Young Adult