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[Epidemiologic study of atopic environment in Lorraine]
D A Moneret-Vautrin1, F Schiele, J Locuty
1Service de Médecine "D", C.H.U., Vandoeuvre-Lès-Nancy.
Insights
This study found significant links between clinical atopy, positive allergy skin tests, and elevated immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in children. These findings highlight the importance of allergy testing for diagnosing atopic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Epidemiology of Allergic Diseases
- Clinical Atopy Research
Context:
- An epidemiological study investigated atopy prevalence in 505 healthy children aged 4-14.
- Clinical atopy was assessed via questionnaires on atopic dermatitis, asthma, and hay fever.
- Allergen sensitization was evaluated using serum IgE levels and skin prick tests.
Purpose:
- To determine the prevalence of clinical atopy and allergen sensitization in a pediatric cohort.
- To explore correlations between clinical manifestations, skin test reactivity, and serum IgE levels.
- To identify potential risk factors associated with atopy in children.
Summary:
- Clinical atopy was diagnosed in 14.46% of children, with positive skin prick tests in 14.85%.
- Significant associations were found between clinical atopy, positive skin tests, and elevated serum IgE levels (>474 kUI/l).
- Recurrent infections, paternal atopy, and maternal atopy showed close relations with childhood atopy and IgE levels.
Impact:
- Establishes a strong correlation between clinical atopy, immunological markers (IgE), and environmental allergen sensitivity.
- Suggests that skin tests and serum IgE assays are comparable methods for investigating atopic predisposition.
- Identifies potential risk factors, including breastfeeding in non-atopic mothers, warranting further investigation.
Abstract:
An epidemiology study on atopy was performed in a Center of Preventive Medicine, in 505 children aged from 4 to 14 years old, in good health, in consultation with their parents. The clinical atopy was evaluated by a questionnaire inquiring about atopic dermatitis, hay fever, infantile asthma, previous recurrent infections, breast or bottle feeding. Total serum IgE were dosed (Phadezym) and pricks performed to mites and pollens. The clinical atopy is diagnosed in 14.46% of cases (atopic dermatitis: 10.28%--asthma: 3.76%--hay fever: 2/98%). Pricks are positive in 14.85% of cases (mites: 11.48%--pollen: 99.11%--both: 5.74%). The cutaneous sensibility is observed in 32.8% of cases with clinical atopy, 12.5% of other children. The total IgE are very variable and does not correlate with a normal distribution. This allows definition of the quartile below which 90% of the sample is to be found: 474 kUI/l. There is a highly significant relation (p 0.001) between clinical atopy and positive pricks to airborne allergens, clinical atopy and raised alone 474 kUI/l, positive pricks and IgE of more than 474 kUI/l. There is a close relation between atopy and recurrent infections, raised IgE in children and paternal atopy, specific IgE in children and maternal atopy. It appears also that breast feeding is a risk factor for raised IgE in children when the mothers are not atopic, which is somewhat unexpected. Investigation of an atopic terrain may be performed through skin tests or an assay of seric IgE, which seem to be closely comparable.