BACKGROUND: Immigrants represent a good epidemiological model to evaluate the relative influence of environmental and inherited factors on the development of allergy. Several studies on allergy in adults have been published, but few data in children are available. We aimed to investigate the differences, between Italian and immigrant children, in clinical characteristics of respiratory allergy. METHODS: This was a multicentre cross-sectional study involving children born in Italy from Italian parents and children born either in Italy or abroad from immigrants. Children referred firstly for allergic respiratory disease (rhinitis/asthma), with an ascertained clinical diagnosis and IgE sensitization to inhalants, were included. Demographic features, comorbidities, severity of disease, and sensitization profile were compared between Italians and immigrants, separating also those born in Italy from immigrant parents and those born abroad. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-five immigrant allergic children were enrolled (100 male, mean age 8.3 yr), 128 of whose had both parents immigrated. Italian children were 237 (156 male, mean age 8.4 yr). The Italian and immigrant children were similar, apart from pet's ownership and family size. There was no difference in the severity of rhinitis/asthma between the groups, whereas significant differences were found in the pattern of sensitization: immigrant children were more frequently sensitized to house dust mites (73.3% vs. 51%, respectively; p = 0.002) and less to grass (41.8% vs. 57.8%; p = 0.002); this was retained also in monosensitized children. Immigrant children born in Italy (n = 105) had a lower prevalence of rhinitis vs. Italians (68.3% vs. 87.6%, respectively, p = 0.003) and of sensitization to grass (28.3% vs. 49.5%, respectively, p = 0.008). No difference was found among macro-regions of origin and demographic or clinical features. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant children born either in Italy or abroad did not show significant differences in the clinical pattern of the respiratory allergic disease when compared to children born from Italian parents.
BACKGROUND: Immigrants represent a good epidemiological model to evaluate the relative influence of environmental and inherited factors on the development of allergy. Several studies on allergy in adults have been published, but few data in children are available. We aimed to investigate the differences, between Italian and immigrant children, in clinical characteristics of respiratory allergy. METHODS: This was a multicentre cross-sectional study involving children born in Italy from Italian parents and children born either in Italy or abroad from immigrants. Children referred firstly for allergic respiratory disease (rhinitis/asthma), with an ascertained clinical diagnosis and IgE sensitization to inhalants, were included. Demographic features, comorbidities, severity of disease, and sensitization profile were compared between Italians and immigrants, separating also those born in Italy from immigrant parents and those born abroad. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-five immigrant allergic children were enrolled (100 male, mean age 8.3 yr), 128 of whose had both parents immigrated. Italian children were 237 (156 male, mean age 8.4 yr). The Italian and immigrant children were similar, apart from pet's ownership and family size. There was no difference in the severity of rhinitis/asthma between the groups, whereas significant differences were found in the pattern of sensitization: immigrant children were more frequently sensitized to house dust mites (73.3% vs. 51%, respectively; p = 0.002) and less to grass (41.8% vs. 57.8%; p = 0.002); this was retained also in monosensitized children. Immigrant children born in Italy (n = 105) had a lower prevalence of rhinitis vs. Italians (68.3% vs. 87.6%, respectively, p = 0.003) and of sensitization to grass (28.3% vs. 49.5%, respectively, p = 0.008). No difference was found among macro-regions of origin and demographic or clinical features. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant children born either in Italy or abroad did not show significant differences in the clinical pattern of the respiratory allergic disease when compared to children born from Italian parents.
Authors: Andrea Vianello; Marco Caminati; Mariangiola Crivellaro; Rafi El Mazloum; Rossella Snenghi; Michele Schiappoli; Annarita Dama; Andrea Rossi; Giuliana Festi; Maria Rita Marchi; Chiara Bovo; Giorgio Walter Canonica; Gianenrico Senna Journal: World Allergy Organ J Date: 2016-12-14 Impact factor: 4.084
Authors: Maria Luisa Somoza; Natalia Pérez-Sánchez; José Antonio Cornejo-García; Gabriela Canto; Miguel Blanca; Isabel Torres-Rojas; Laura Martín-Pedraza; Natalia Blanca-López; Laura Victorio Puche; Eva Abel Fernández González; José Damián López Sánchez; Javier Fernández-Sánchez; Enrique Fernández-Caldas; Mayte Villalba; Francisco Javier Ruano Journal: J Asthma Allergy Date: 2022-09-26
Authors: Massimo Landi; Paolo Meglio; Ermanno Praitano; Carlo Lombardi; Giovanni Passalacqua; Giorgio Walter Canonica Journal: Clin Mol Allergy Date: 2015-07-24