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The link between parental allergy and offspring allergic and nonallergic rhinitis
1Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of ENT diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Insights
Parental hay fever is a significant risk factor for childhood allergic rhinitis (AR). Parental allergy-related diseases also increase the risk for nonallergic rhinitis (NAR), with the risk comparable between mothers and fathers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Allergology
- Genetics
Background:
- Parental history of allergy-related diseases is a known risk factor for childhood rhinitis.
- Specific contributions of different parental allergy phenotypes to rhinitis risk remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of parental hay fever, asthma, and eczema on the risk of allergic rhinitis (AR) and nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) in children at age 8.
- To explore distinct hereditary patterns associated with AR and NAR.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 2413 children in a population-based birth cohort, including questionnaires and IgE levels.
- Employed logistic regression to analyze associations between parental allergies and child rhinitis.
- Applied cluster analysis to identify latent hereditary phenotypes.
Main Results:
- At age 8, 13.8% of children had AR and 6.4% had NAR.
- Parental isolated hay fever significantly increased AR odds (OR 2.2).
- Increased odds of NAR were observed when one parent had two or more allergy-related diseases.
Conclusions:
- Parental allergy-related diseases are significant risk factors for both AR and NAR in children.
- Parental hay fever is a dominant hereditary risk factor for AR.
- Maternal and paternal allergy confer comparable risks for childhood rhinitis.
Background:
Parental allergy-related disease increases the risk for rhinitis, but it remains unknown how different phenotypes of parental allergy affect this risk. The aim of this study was to investigate how parental hay fever, asthma, and eczema affect the risk of allergic rhinitis (AR) and nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) at 8 years of age.
Methods:
Information on 2413 children from a population-based birth cohort was used combining questionnaire data and IgE to inhalant allergens. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between parental allergy-related disease and AR and NAR. In addition, cluster analysis was used to search for latent phenotypes of heredity likely to be associated with AR and NAR.
Results:
At age 8 years, 13.8% of the children had AR, while 6.4% had NAR. Parental isolated hay fever increased the odds of AR (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6-3.2), whereas isolated asthma or eczema did not. The odds of NAR increased when one parent had two or more allergy-related diseases. In the cluster analysis, the highest proportion of AR, 37.5%, was seen in a cluster where both parents had hay fever and pollen allergy and that of NAR, 11.0%, in a cluster where one parent had hay fever, pollen allergy, and eczema.
Conclusions:
Parental allergy-related disease may be an important risk factor for NAR as well as AR, and the risk is comparable for maternal and paternal allergy. Parental hay fever seems to be the dominating hereditary risk factor for AR.
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