Recent research has reported that there are many effects of climate change on allergic disease in humans. The aim of this study was to clarify evidence of the effects of climate change on the prevalence of allergic disease. We reviewed the available evidence of the relation between climate factors and allergic disease. And a systematic online and manual literature search to the theme "allergies and climate change" was made for model-derived keywords.
Air Pollution ; Asthma ; Climate ; Climate Change ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Pollen ; Prevalence ; Weather

PURPOSE: Food allergies can affect the growth and nutritional status of children with atopic dermatitis (AD). This study was conducted to determine the association between the number of sensitized food allergens and the growth and nutritional status of infants and young children with AD. METHODS: We studied 165 children with AD, aged 5 to 47 months, and who visited the Atopy Clinic of the Seoul Medical Center. We recorded the birth weight, time at which food weaning began, scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index, eosinophil counts in peripheral blood, and total serum IgE and specific IgE to six major allergens (egg white, cow's milk, soybean, peanut, wheat, and fish). The height and weight for age and weight for height were converted to z-scores to evaluate their effects on growth and nutritional status. Specific IgE levels > or =0.7 kUA/L, measured via the CAP assay, were considered positive. RESULTS: As the number of sensitized food allergens increased, the mean z-scores of weight and height for age decreased (P=0.006 and 0.018, respectively). The number directly correlated with the SCORAD index (r=0.308), time at which food weaning began (r=0.332), eosinophil counts in peripheral blood (r=0.266), and total serum IgE (r=0.394). Inverse correlations were observed with the z-scores of weight for age (r=-0.358), height for age (r=-0.278), and weight for height (r=-0.224). CONCLUSIONS: A higher number of sensitized food allergens was associated with negative effects on the growth and nutritional status of infants and young children with AD. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of both growth and nutritional status, combined with adequate patient management, is crucial in pediatric AD patients presenting with numerous sensitized food allergies.
Aged ; Allergens ; Birth Weight ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eosinophils ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Infant ; Milk ; Nutritional Status ; Soybeans ; Triticum ; Weaning

Though Fragile X syndrome is one of the most common inherited causes of mental retardation, it is not much detected yet in Korean population. One of the reason may be that the syndrome is not well known to the special education teachers as well as to the clinicians in this country. Thus, molecular test was undertaken to screen out fragile X syndrome in 122 children of two Korean schools for emotionally severely handicapped children. The subjects were all boys, previously known as having pervasive developmental disorder with or without mental retardation. Southern blot analysis of peripheral blood showed the abnormally enlarged (CGG)n repeat sequence associated with fragile X syndrome in two children. This finding suggests that the DNA testing for fragile X syndrome is warranted for Korean high risk population and that more concern about this syndrome is needed for the professionals who work for mentally handicapped children. The issues involved in genetic counseling for fragile X syndrome are discussed.
Blotting, Southern ; Child ; Disabled Children* ; Disabled Persons* ; DNA* ; Education, Special ; Fragile X Syndrome* ; Genetic Counseling ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Korea* ; Mentally Disabled Persons

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial chemicals are used in a variety of household and personal care products. Exposure to antimicrobial household products has been hypothesized to lead to allergic diseases in children. METHODS: We investigated antimicrobial household product exposure and allergic symptoms in Korean children. An antimicrobial exposure (AE) score was derived. To examine the symptoms of allergic diseases (current wheeze, current rhinitis, and current eczema) in the past 12 months, we used a questionnaire based on the core module of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children. Complete data for the analysis were available for 25,805 of the 35,590 (72.5%) children. RESULTS: The prevalence of current allergic diseases was as follows: wheeze, 5.6%; allergic rhinitis, 32.6%; and eczema, 17.7%. The mean (standard deviation) AE score was 14.3 (9.3) (range: 0-40). Compared with subjects with a low AE score (reference), subjects with a high AE score (fourth quartile) were more likely to have symptoms of wheezing and allergic rhinitis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] for wheezing 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.45, p for trend=0.24; aOR for allergic rhinitis 1.30, 95% CI, 1.20-1.40, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that frequent use of antimicrobial household products was associated with current wheeze and current allergic rhinitis.
Asthma ; Child ; Eczema ; Family Characteristics ; Household Products* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Respiratory Sounds ; Rhinitis ; Triclosan ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Primary autoimmune myelofibrosis, the development of which is not preceded by a well-defined autoimmune disease, has recently been defined as a distinct clinicopathologic syndrome. We report herein a case of a 68-year-old woman who was diagnosed with primary autoimmune myelofibrosis and present a review of the literature. The patient manifested peripheral pancytopenia, was positive for autoantibodies, and developed myelofibrosis with no preceding autoimmune or hematologic disorders. Her condition was dramatically improved after administration of prednisolone.
Aged ; Autoantibodies ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Female ; Humans ; Pancytopenia ; Prednisolone ; Primary Myelofibrosis*

PURPOSE: Unbalanced diets and decreased physical activity have contributed to increased prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in adolescents. We have performed a systematic review and data analysis to examine the association between dietary pattern and metabolic syndrome risk factors in adolescents. METHODS: We searched the PubMed and BioMedLib databases for appropriate articles published during the past 10 years and selected 6 articles. The studies reviewed applied factor analysis or cluster analysis to extract dietary patterns. For data analysis, we examined the association between dietary patterns and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome risk factors using data of 3,168 adolescents (13 to 18 years) obtained from 4 consecutive Korean Nutrition Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (1998, 2001, 2005, and 2007 to 2009). RESULTS: Our systematic review confirmed that western dietary patterns are positively associated with metabolic syndrome risk factors such as obesity and elevated triglycerides, while traditional dietary patterns were negatively associated. Data analysis found that the number of adolescents aged 16 to 18 years who had "Rice & Kimchi" dietary pattern decreased, while the number having western dietary patterns increased during the 1998 to 2009 time frame. There were no changes in the dietary patterns in adolescents aged 13 to 15 years. The risk of elevated serum triglycerides and reduced serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol was high in the "Rice & Kimchi" dietary pattern compared to the other dietary pattern groups. CONCLUSION: Because adolescents' dietary patterns are changing continuously and have long-term effects, further studies on the dietary patterns of adolescents and their health effects into adulthood are necessary.
Adolescent ; Aged ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Diet ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Statistics as Topic ; Triglycerides