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Clinical and Experimental Allergy :... Jan 2015The prevalence of obesity has increased worldwide, and weight gain has been shown to influence the development and clinical expression of various conditions including... (Review)
Review
The prevalence of obesity has increased worldwide, and weight gain has been shown to influence the development and clinical expression of various conditions including asthma. The relationships between atopy and obesity remain uncertain, both in adults and in children. Although there are physiopathologic mechanisms which could explain how obesity could influence the immune system and promote the process of sensitization, evidences in favour of a possible role of obesity on the development of atopy have been inconsistent. Furthermore, the bulk of evidence suggests that atopy does not mediate the relationship between obesity and asthma, although in some populations, particularly in children and women, such association has been reported. Such lack of relationship has also been found with rhinoconjunctivitis although it has been observed for atopic dermatitis. Several factors may explain these variable results, including populational or environmental characteristics, socioeconomic status, confounding factors, in addition to sample size, and methodology of the performed studies. The possibility that obesity influences atopy through its effects on sex hormones is suggested by a more frequent link between atopy and obesity in women, particularly postpuberal. Further research should be conducted on the influence of weight gain on atopy and atopic diseases.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Asthma; Child; Child, Preschool; Conjunctivitis; Dermatitis, Atopic; Female; Humans; Male; Obesity; Rhinitis; Sex Characteristics
PubMed: 25323112
DOI: 10.1111/cea.12435 -
The World Allergy Organization Journal Apr 2023Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic multi-organic immune fibrosing disease. It affects preferentially men around middle age and almost any organs... (Review)
Review
Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic multi-organic immune fibrosing disease. It affects preferentially men around middle age and almost any organs can be involved; however, lymph nodes, submandibular and lacrimal glands, pancreas, and retroperitoneum are the most affected. The mainstay treatment is corticosteroids, sometimes adjuncts with DMARDs or rituximab as steroid sparing agents. Th2 inflammation is implicated in the pathophysiology of the disease. Several reports indicate that allergy and/or atopy often affect patients with IgG4-RD. The frequency varies greatly between studies with allergies/allergic diseases reported in 18-76% while atopy is reported in 14-46%. In studies including both, they affect 42 and 62% of patients. Rhinitis and asthma are the most frequent allergic diseases. IgE and blood eosinophiles are often elevated and few studies report that basophils and mast cells could participate in the disease pathogenesis; however, the implication of allergy and atopy remain unclear. No common allergen has been identified and IgG4 production seems to be polyclonal. Although a direct causal effect is unlikely, they could potentially shape the clinical phenotype. Allergies/allergic diseases and/or atopy are reported to be more frequent in IgG4-RD patients presenting head, neck, and thoracic involvement, with higher IgE and eosinophils and less frequent in retroperitoneal fibrosis; however, studies regarding allergy and atopy in IgG4-RD are highly heterogenous. The aim of this article is to review what is currently known about the allergy and atopy in the context of Ig4-RD.
PubMed: 37179536
DOI: 10.1016/j.waojou.2023.100765 -
Scandinavian Journal of Work,... Dec 1984Atopy denotes the exceptional capacity to produce immunoglobulin (Ig)E antibody when exposed to common environmental allergens. The characteristic is frequently used for... (Review)
Review
Atopy denotes the exceptional capacity to produce immunoglobulin (Ig)E antibody when exposed to common environmental allergens. The characteristic is frequently used for preemployment screening purposes. Too little attention has, however, been paid to the rationale and the consequences of this practice. Atopy is very common, and so decisions made because of atopy probably affect about a third of the working population. Work-related hypersensitivity symptoms cannot be eradicated by the weeding out of atopics. The intensity of exposure and/or the sensitizing properties of causative agents are often extremely strong in occupational settings and trigger the production of specific IgE antibodies even in nonatopics. Atopy is probably not sufficiently discriminative for screening purposes even in environments where atopics are known to have a greater risk of developing asthma (eg, laboratories with animals). Moreover, weeding out atopics may be used instead of hygienic and technical measures to reduce exposure levels. Separate decisions on medical, as well as legal, grounds may be warranted when a person with atopic symptoms, ie, rhinitis, asthma, or dermatitis, enters a new occupational environment. There is an urgent need for prospective studies in various occupational environments.
Topics: Employment; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Immunoglobulin E; Occupational Diseases; Physical Examination; Prognosis; Risk
PubMed: 6398914
DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.2312 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Chronic urticaria (CU) is one of the most common dermatological diseases and has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients. However, the pathogenesis of... (Review)
Review
Chronic urticaria (CU) is one of the most common dermatological diseases and has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients. However, the pathogenesis of this disease remains unclear. Autoimmunity in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) has received considerable attention and has been studied previously. Atopy is an important characteristic of CU; however, it has not been fully recognized. Atopy predisposes individuals to immune responses to allergens, leading to type 2 inflammation and immunoglobulin E (IgE) overproduction. Compared with healthy individuals, patients with CU have a higher proportion of atopy, and an atopic background is correlated with the clinical characteristics of CU. The total IgE levels in patients with CU is significantly higher than those in healthy individuals. Although its level is not higher than that in classic allergic diseases, it is closely related to CU. Exogenous allergens, auto-allergens, and specific IgEs, which are closely related to atopy, have been reported, and their roles in CU pathogenesis are also being studied. Local and systemic atopic inflammation is present in patients with CU. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding atopy and CU, speculating that there are CU subtypes, such as atopic CSU or atopic chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) and that atopy may be involved in the pathogenesis of CU. These findings provide a new perspective for a comprehensive understanding of the clinical features of CU and further research regarding its pathogenesis.
Topics: Humans; Urticaria; Quality of Life; Chronic Urticaria; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Allergens; Immunoglobulin E; Inflammation
PubMed: 38380314
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1279976 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2017The hygiene hypothesis links environmental and microbial exposures in early life to the prevalence of atopy, allergy, and asthma. infection is typically acquired in... (Review)
Review
The hygiene hypothesis links environmental and microbial exposures in early life to the prevalence of atopy, allergy, and asthma. infection is typically acquired in childhood and acquisition of the infection is associated with poor household hygiene. Some population surveys have shown an inverse association between infection and atopy, allergy, and asthma leading to the suggestion that infection may be protective against disease; others consider it simply a biomarker for poor household hygiene. We review the relevant surveys, cohort studies, meta-analyses, and studies testing the protective hypothesis. Overall, the results of surveys and cohort studies are inconsistent, whereas meta-analyses show a significant but weak inverse correlation. In contrast, studies directly testing the protection hypothesis in relation to asthma in populations with poor hygiene and low prevalence failed to confirm a protective effect. is a major cause of human disease including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric malignancies. infections most likely serve as a biomarker for poor hygienic conditions in childhood. We conclude that while synergistic interactions between environmental factors in childhood are important determinants of the pathogenesis of atopy, allergy, and asthma; is inversely related to good hygiene and thus it's presence serves as a biomarker rather than for a specific prevention role for or antigens.
PubMed: 28642748
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01034 -
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical... Nov 2021The concept of atopy was initially developed in the first quarter of the 20th century on the basis of clinical observations without any knowledge of pathogenic...
The concept of atopy was initially developed in the first quarter of the 20th century on the basis of clinical observations without any knowledge of pathogenic mechanisms. Atopy involves a collection of comorbidities that share pathogenic features, and atopic comorbidities affect outcomes of concomitant conditions rather than existing synchronously. The clinical importance of understanding the relationship of these conditions is necessary because the treatment of one condition influences the others, and the development of one leads to or precedes the development of another. Environmental influences and multigenetic predispositions result in complex relationships among the atopic conditions sharing a type 2 pathogenesis. The specialty of Allergy and Immunology is devoted to managing the comorbidities of atopy, and better understanding of their connections can improve patient care.
Topics: Asthma; Comorbidity; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity, Immediate
PubMed: 34509674
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2021.09.002 -
Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology Dec 2016Mounting evidence appears to link asthma and atopy to cancer susceptibility. This review presents and discusses published epidemiological studies on the association... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Mounting evidence appears to link asthma and atopy to cancer susceptibility. This review presents and discusses published epidemiological studies on the association between site-specific cancers and atopy. PubMed was searched electronically for publications between 1995 and 2015, and cited references were researched manually. Quantitative studies relating to atopy, allergy, or asthma and cancer were identified and tabulated. Despite many exposure-related limitations, patterns in the studies were observed. Asthma, specifically, has been observed to be a risk factor for lung cancer. A protective effect of atopic diseases against pancreatic cancer has been shown consistently in case-control studies but not in cohort studies. Allergy of any type appears to be protective against glioma and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Most studies on atopic diseases and non-Hodgkin lymphoma or colorectal cancer reported an inverse association. The other sites identified had varying and non-significant outcomes. Further research should be dedicated to carefully defined exposure assessments of "atopy" as well as the biological plausibility in the association between atopic diseases and cancer.
Topics: Asthma; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Neoplasms; Odds Ratio; Organ Specificity; Population Surveillance
PubMed: 27277132
DOI: 10.1007/s12016-016-8559-2 -
Nutrients Apr 2022We are currently riding the second wave of the allergy epidemic, which is ongoing in affluent societies, but now also affecting developing countries. This increase in... (Review)
Review
We are currently riding the second wave of the allergy epidemic, which is ongoing in affluent societies, but now also affecting developing countries. This increase in the prevalence of atopy/asthma in the Western world has coincided with a rapid improvement in living conditions and radical changes in lifestyle, suggesting that this upward trend in allergic manifestations may be associated with cultural and environmental factors. Diet is a prominent environmental exposure that has undergone major changes, with a substantial increase in the consumption of processed foods, all across the globe. On this basis, the potential effects of dietary habits on atopy and asthma have been researched rigorously, but even with a considerable body of evidence, clear associations are far from established. Many factors converge to obscure the potential relationship, including methodological, pathophysiological and cultural differences. To date, the most commonly researched, and highly promising, candidate for exerting a protective effect is the so-called Mediterranean diet (MedDi). This dietary pattern has been the subject of investigation since the mid twentieth century, and the evidence regarding its beneficial health effects is overwhelming, although data on a correlation between MedDi and the incidence and severity of asthma and atopy are inconclusive. As the prevalence of asthma appears to be lower in some Mediterranean populations, it can be speculated that the MedDi dietary pattern could indeed have a place in a preventive strategy for asthma/atopy. This is a review of the current evidence of the associations between the constituents of the MedDi and asthma/atopy, with emphasis on the pathophysiological links between MedDi and disease outcomes and the research pitfalls and methodological caveats which may hinder identification of causality. MedDi, as a dietary pattern, rather than short-term supplementation or excessive focus on single nutrient effects, may be a rational option for preventive intervention against atopy and asthma.
Topics: Asthma; Diet, Mediterranean; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Prevalence; Protective Factors
PubMed: 35565792
DOI: 10.3390/nu14091825 -
International Archives of Allergy and... Feb 2005Atopy and asthma result from the effects of environmental factors on genetically susceptible persons, and different prevalence rates have been documented worldwide. In... (Review)
Review
Atopy and asthma result from the effects of environmental factors on genetically susceptible persons, and different prevalence rates have been documented worldwide. In developed and industrialized countries a higher prevalence of atopy and asthma is observed as compared with undeveloped and less affluent countries. Migration involves exposure to a new set of pollutants and allergens. In addition, it involves several socioeconomic and cultural issues such as housing conditions, diet and accessibility to medical services, all of which are likely to affect migrants' health. Migration studies provide information on the role of environmental factors in the development of atopy and asthma. Immigration to allergy-prevalent countries causes more allergies and asthma in immigrants as compared to the prevalence of atopy in their countries of origin. The increase in allergy and asthma is usually not related to ethnicity, but in certain populations may play an important role. Studies on migrants support the notion that lifestyle and environmental factors in western industrialized countries facilitate atopy and asthma. The effect is time-dependent. Acquiring allergy is influenced by the age at the time of immigration. Migrants, in general, are more prone to the development of allergies than the local population. Low hygiene prior to immigration does not seem to protect against the development of atopy or asthma. Vaccinations do not affect the development of atopy or asthma in the general population and in migrants. Migrants should be aware of the potential of developing allergies and/or asthma. Strategies for primary prevention in high-risk atopic individuals and secondary prevention guidelines should be developed both for populations in developing countries as well as for immigrants from such countries to atopy-prevalent developed countries.
Topics: Asthma; Demography; Dermatitis, Atopic; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Humans; Hygiene; Hypersensitivity; Immunization; Immunoglobulin E; Israel; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Transients and Migrants
PubMed: 15711097
DOI: 10.1159/000083894