Alternaria Allergy in Youth Signals Lasting Asthma Risk
A study has found that sensitization to the Alternaria allergen during adolescence is linked to a higher risk of developing asthma and rhinitis. Persistent sensitization significantly increases the likelihood of these conditions compared to those who were never sensitized. The findings suggest that adolescence is a critical period for targeted prevention efforts.
- ▪Among 434 participants, 84.1% were never sensitized to Alternaria, while 4.8% had persistent sensitization.
- ▪Persistent asthma was found in 6.6% of the never-sensitized group and 23.8% of the persistently sensitized group.
- ▪The study indicates that persistent sensitization is associated with a 3.59-fold higher risk for persistent asthma.
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TOPLINE:Sensitization to Alternaria often developed during adolescence, and persistent sensitization was associated with an increased risk for asthma and rhinitis. Testing for recombinant Alt a 1 (rAlt a 1), the major Alternaria allergen, better predicted asthma risk in younger participants, whereas skin and blood tests showed similar results by adulthood.METHODOLOGY:Researchers analyzed data from a UK-based birth cohort to map the patterns of developing sensitization to Alternaria and their relationship to asthma and rhinitis.Participants underwent skin prick testing at ages 4, 10, 18, and 26 and blood testing for serum-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE, to whole Alternaria extract and to rAlt a 1) at ages 10, 18, and 26.Any Alternaria was defined as a positive result on any test.
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