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Original Article |
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Early Allergic Sensitizations and
Their Relevance to Atopic Diseases in Children Aged 6
Years: Results of the GINI Study |
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I Brockow,1,4 A
Zutavern,3,4 U Hoffmann,1 A Grübl,1
A von Berg,2 S Koletzko,3 B
Filipiak,4 CP Bauer,1 HE Wichmann,4
Reinhardt,3 D Berdel,2
U Krämer,5 J Heinrich4 for the
GINIplus Study Group |
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1 Department of Pediatrics, Technical
University of Munich, Munich, Germany
2 Department of Pediatrics, Marien-Hospital Wesel, Wesel,
Germany
3 Department of Pediatrics, Ludwig Maximilians
University, Munich, Germany
4 Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany, Institute of
Epidemiology, Munich, Germany
5 IUF-Institut für Umweltmedizinische Forschung,
Düsseldorf, Germany |
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J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol
2009; Vol. 19(3): 180-187 |
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Abstract |
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Background:
Only a few studies
have analyzed the
value of early
sensitization in
predicting the
development of
atopic disease. The
relevance of low
immunoglobulin (Ig)E
antibody levels in
this respect also
remains unclear.
Objective: To
investigate the
relevance of
sensitization in
12-month-old
children in the
development of
atopic disease by
the age of 6 years.
Methods: We
analyzed data for
1290 children with a
positive family
history of atopy
from the
prospective,
multicenter German
Infant Nutritional
Intervention (GINIplus)
study and
investigated the
relationship between
the presence of
detectable specific
IgE antibodies at
the age of 12 months
and the development
of atopic disease by
the age of 6 years.
Results: In all,
10.9 % of children
analyzed developed
sensitization. At
the age of 6 years,
20.6% of children
with early
sensitization had
eczema compared to
9.4% of those
without (odds ratio
[OR], 2.31; 95%
confidence interval
[CI], 1.42-3.74).
The corresponding
figures
were 15.4% vs 7.3%
for allergic
rhinitis (OR, 2.22;
CI, 1.31-3.78) and
10.2% vs 2.6% (OR,
3.93; 95% CI,
1.98-7.76) for
asthma. Children
with early
sensitization to
aeroallergens had
the greatest risk of
subsequent atopic
disease. Early
sensitization did
not increase risk in
children without
eczema within the
first year of life.
Very low specific
IgE levels
(0.18-0.34 kU/L)
were not
significantly
associated with any
of the outcomes
analyzed.
Conclusion:
Sensitization to
common food
allergens and to
aeroallergens in
particular during
the first year of
life was found to be
a strong predictor
for the development
of atopic disease by
the age of 6 years
in children with a
positive family
history of atopy.
Key words:
Atopic disease.
Children. GINI
study. Low
immunoglobulin E (IgE)
levels.
Sensitization.
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