Prevalence of Allergy Symptoms in Schoolchildren of Chechen Republic (ISAAC Questionnaire Results)

Background. Rising prevalence of allergic diseases is a major medical and social problem.Objective. The aim of the study is to study the prevalence of allergy symptoms in schoolchildren of Chechen Republic according to the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood) questionnaire.Methods. We have surveyed 3,398 schoolchildren from 26 randomly chosen schools located in 2 urban and 2 rural areas of Chechen Republic. The first age group (7–8 years old) included 1331 first graders, the second group (13-14 years old) — 2067 eighth graders.Results. The prevalence of allergic diseases symptoms according to the questionnaire was the following: bronchial asthma (BA) — 18.4% (625 children), allergic rhinitis (AR) — 16.6% (565 children), atopic dermatitis (AD) — 4.7% (160 children), while medically verified diagnosis was established in dramatically less cases. Analysis of BA, AR, AD symptoms prevalence has revealed significant correlation between studied parameters and age. Symptoms of BA, AR prevailed in the older age group, AD in the younger one. There were no gender differences identified. Higher prevalence of BA and AR symptoms was recorded in urban residents, while the prevalence of AD in urban and rural areas was quite the same. Moreover, estimation of allergy symptoms prevalence revealed mild course of these diseases in schoolchildren of Chechen Republic.Conclusion. The study, conducted with ISAAC questionnaire, demonstrates high prevalence of allergy symptoms in schoolchildren of Chechen Republic, exceeding the official statistics. It requires particular attention from the healthcare system and improved diagnostic methods for allergies.

Sex specific associations between in utero exposure to persistent organic pollutants and allergy-related outcomes in childhood: The Rhea Mother–Child Cohort (Crete, Greece)

Accumulating evidence suggests that in utero exposures can influence the development of the immune system. Few studies have investigated whether prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is associated with allergy-related phenotypes in childhood, nor explored sex differences. We examined the association between prenatal exposure to POPs and offspring allergic outcomes in early and mid-childhood. We included 682 mother–child pairs from the prospective birth cohort Rhea. We measured dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and 6 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in maternal first trimester serum. Parents completed the questionnaires adapted from the International Study on Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) for allergy-related phenotypes when their children were 4 and 6 years old. We used Poisson regression models to estimate Risk Ratios. Prenatal HCB was associated with increased risk for rhinoconjunctivitis at 6 years (RR (95% CI): 2.5; (1.3, 4.8) for a doubling in the exposure). Among girls, prenatal DDE was associated with increased risk for current wheeze, current asthma and current rhinoconjunctivitis at 4 years (RR (95%CI): 1.4 (0.8, 2.6), 1.6 (1.1, 2.4) and 1.8 (1.0, 3.3) and p-interaction = 0.035, 0.027 and 0.059, respectively), with increased risk for current rhinoconjunctivitis at 6 years (RR (95%CI): 1.7 (0.7, 3.8) and p-interaction = 0.028) and total PCBs were associated with increased risk for current eczema at 4 years (RR (95%CI): 2.1 (1.1, 4.2) and p-interaction = 0.028). In boys, prenatal DDE was associated with decreased risk for current wheeze and current asthma at 4 years. Our findings suggest that even low levels of exposure to POPs prenatally may affect the development of childhood allergy-related outcomes in a sex and age-specific manner.

Synthesis of N-Glycans Implicated in Asthma and Allergy

<p><b>Asthma and allergies affect a large number of people, with over 300 million people worldwide suffering from asthma alone. Although, on the ‟macroscopic‟ level, it is known how allergens trigger allergic reactions, it is not known how an allergen's ‟micro‟ structure causes such a profound allergic response in sensitised individuals. A review of inter-species carbohydrate motifs revealed a striking similarity between carbohydrate moieties (N-glycans) present on antigens derived from species known to give an allergic T helper (Th) 2 response in humans (such as pollen, schistosomes, and food allergens). Preliminary studies on mixtures of allergen extracts have suggested that these carbohydrate motifs (glycoproteins) bias the immune response to an allergic (Th2) response.</b></p> <p>This project presents work conducted towards the synthesis of three fragments of a larger N-glycan found on allergens. The synthesis of these N-glycans will allow the first detailed study regarding the relationship between N-glycan structure and Th2 bias to be performed and thereby aid in our understanding of the molecular triggers of asthma. Ultimately, this could lead to the elucidation of the mechanisms of the allergic Th2 immune response.</p>

Synthesis of N-Glycans Implicated in Asthma and Allergy

<p><b>Asthma and allergies affect a large number of people, with over 300 million people worldwide suffering from asthma alone. Although, on the ‟macroscopic‟ level, it is known how allergens trigger allergic reactions, it is not known how an allergen's ‟micro‟ structure causes such a profound allergic response in sensitised individuals. A review of inter-species carbohydrate motifs revealed a striking similarity between carbohydrate moieties (N-glycans) present on antigens derived from species known to give an allergic T helper (Th) 2 response in humans (such as pollen, schistosomes, and food allergens). Preliminary studies on mixtures of allergen extracts have suggested that these carbohydrate motifs (glycoproteins) bias the immune response to an allergic (Th2) response.</b></p> <p>This project presents work conducted towards the synthesis of three fragments of a larger N-glycan found on allergens. The synthesis of these N-glycans will allow the first detailed study regarding the relationship between N-glycan structure and Th2 bias to be performed and thereby aid in our understanding of the molecular triggers of asthma. Ultimately, this could lead to the elucidation of the mechanisms of the allergic Th2 immune response.</p>

Synthesis of N-glycans implicated in asthma and allergy

<p>Asthma and allergies affect a large number of people, with over 300 million people worldwide suffering from asthma alone. Although, on the ‟macroscopic‟ level, it is known how allergens trigger allergic reactions, it is not known how an allergen's ‟micro‟ structure causes such a profound allergic response in sensitised individuals. A review of inter-species carbohydrate motifs revealed a striking similarity between carbohydrate moieties (N-glycans) present on antigens derived from species known to give an allergic T helper (Th) 2 response in humans (such as pollen, schistosomes, and food allergens). Preliminary studies on mixtures of allergen extracts have suggested that these carbohydrate motifs (glycoproteins) bias the immune response to an allergic (Th2) response. This project presents work conducted towards the synthesis of three fragments of a larger N-glycan found on allergens. The synthesis of these N-glycans will allow the first detailed study regarding the relationship between N-glycan structure and Th2 bias to be performed and thereby aid in our understanding of the molecular triggers of asthma. Ultimately, this could lead to the elucidation of the mechanisms of the allergic Th2 immune response.</p>

Synthesis of N-glycans implicated in asthma and allergy

<p>Asthma and allergies affect a large number of people, with over 300 million people worldwide suffering from asthma alone. Although, on the ‟macroscopic‟ level, it is known how allergens trigger allergic reactions, it is not known how an allergen's ‟micro‟ structure causes such a profound allergic response in sensitised individuals. A review of inter-species carbohydrate motifs revealed a striking similarity between carbohydrate moieties (N-glycans) present on antigens derived from species known to give an allergic T helper (Th) 2 response in humans (such as pollen, schistosomes, and food allergens). Preliminary studies on mixtures of allergen extracts have suggested that these carbohydrate motifs (glycoproteins) bias the immune response to an allergic (Th2) response. This project presents work conducted towards the synthesis of three fragments of a larger N-glycan found on allergens. The synthesis of these N-glycans will allow the first detailed study regarding the relationship between N-glycan structure and Th2 bias to be performed and thereby aid in our understanding of the molecular triggers of asthma. Ultimately, this could lead to the elucidation of the mechanisms of the allergic Th2 immune response.</p>

Could the Epigenetics of Eosinophils in Asthma and Allergy Solve Parts of the Puzzle?

Epigenetics is a field of study investigating changes in gene expression that do not alter the DNA sequence. These changes are often influenced by environmental or social factors and are reversible. Epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA. Understanding the role of these epigenetic mechanisms in human diseases provides useful information with regard to disease severity and development. Several studies have searched for the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate allergies and asthma; however, only few studies have used samples of eosinophil, a proinflammatory cell type known to be largely recruited during allergic or asthmatic inflammation. Such studies would enable us to better understand the factors that influence the massive recruitment of eosinophils during allergic and asthmatic symptoms. In this review, we sought to summarize different studies that aimed to discover differential patterns of histone modifications, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs in eosinophil samples of individuals with certain diseases, with a particular focus on those with asthma or allergic diseases.

The reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the school-based asthma and allergy screening questionnaires

Background Asthma is an important public health disease affecting children that may result in school absenteeism and hospitalization. This study aims to assess the validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy of the Turkish version of the asthma and allergy screening questionnaire. Methods This study included primary and secondary school students from grades 2 to 7 and their parents or caregivers. For validity, 40 children with asthma and 39 children with allergies diagnosed by the questionnaire were used to determine the sensitivity. The specificity was calculated by using the data of 100 children without asthma and allergies. The study was completed with the participation of 704 students and parents. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess item reliability. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess validity. Results When the cutoff point of the questionnaire was 2/3 for asthma, the sensitivity was 80.0% and 82.5% and the specificity was 56.6% and 76.8% according to the student and parent form, respectively. When the cutoff point of the questionnaire was 0/1 for allergies, the sensitivity was 74.4% and 84.6% and the specificity was 66.3% and 54.2% according to the student (SQ) and parent questionnaire (PQ), respectively. The reliability of test-retest correlation values (≥0.68) of asthma and allergy questionnaires were found to be statistically significant. The internal consistency Cronbach’s α values of the asthma SQ and PQ were 0.72 and 0.80, respectively. Conclusions According to the Turkish questionnaire for students and their parents, the sensitivity of asthma and allergy questionnaires was similar in proportion to the original questionnaire. The Turkish version of the questionnaire can be used for asthma and allergy screening in schools.