Asia Pacific Allergy: A great platform for allergy.

The Joint Congress of the Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology (APAAACI) and the Asia Pacific Association of Pediatric Allergy, Respiratory and Immunology (APAPARI) was very successful with more than 1,500 participants in Bangkok, Thailand on October 11–14, 2018. The theme of the congress was ‘Novel therapies, Prevention and Integrated Action: Towards Improved Patient Care.’ It was a wonderful congress with great learning, networking, and friendship in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. At the editorial board meeting during the congress, we had very nice and innovative discussions on the future of Asia Pacific Allergy (Fig. 1). We also had a journal session together with Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, and Asian Pacific Journal of Allergy and Immunology. I am glad that Asia Pacific Allergy became an important and great platform for allergy. As the Editor-in-Chief, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to readers, authors, reviewers, the editorial board members, APAAACI board members, APAAACI member societies, and the editorial team.

Fig. 1

Editorial board meeting at 7:00 a.m. on November 13, 2018 during the joint congress of Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology and Asia Pacific Association of Pediatric Allergy, Respiratory and Immunology 2018 in Bangkok.

This issue of Asia Pacific Allergy features important issues on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) hypersensitivity in the Asia Pacific region: the mechanism of action, classification, cofactors, disease associations, genetic polymorphisms, the epidemiology of adult and pediatric NSAID hypersensitivity in the Asia Pacific, the diagnostic approach, and aspirin desensitization [1].

Thunderstorm asthma in Melbourne 2016 was the largest outbreak in history (since it was first described in United Kingdom 1983) with 2,332 ambulance calls, 3,365 excess respiratory related Emergency Department presentations and 9 possible related deaths to this thunderstorm event [234]. Thunderstorm asthma has been described in Australia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East so far [2]. In this issue, readers will find that residential NO2 exposure, an important component of traffic related air pollution, was associated with urgent healthcare use in a thunderstorm asthma cohort Melbourne [5].

Growth of children is a topic of interest among allergists. Chong et al. [6] presents data on the growth of children with food allergies in Singapore, which showed eczema, IgE-mediated and mixed type allergies were associated with poorer growth rate. Cow's milk is one of major food allergens in childhood [78]. Readers will find an interesting article on the Cow's Milk-related Symptom Score as a predictive tool for cow's milk allergy in Indian children [9]. Food consumption on the risk of allergy is a controversial issue. Recently a Korean group reported with 76,980 adolescents and 5,811 adults that dietary factors may affect asthma differently in different age groups and that high fast food consumption was significantly related to asthma in adolescents but not in adult [10]. In this issue, Fsadni et al. [11] presents an interesting article that fish consumption increased the risk of childhood allergy from a Mediterranean island, Malta.

Readers could be interested in an article on the evaluation of the left ventricular systolic function with the measurement of global longitudinal strain by Speckle tracking echocardiography in anaphylaxis [12].

Readers will also find a very nice review article on the management of atopic dermatitis in this issue [13].

This issue also contains a report on the sensitization of Blomia tropicalis, Dermatophagoides pteronissinus, and Blattella germanica allergens evaluated by skin prick test and allergen-specific IgE in chronic respiratory diseases from Southern Vietnam [14], and a case report of anaphylactic shock induced by tipepidine hibenzate (Asverin), an antitussive drug, in 1 year old child [15].

It is the 30th Anniversary of APAAACI next year. To celebrate the 30th Anniversary, 2019 APAAACI International Conference will be held jointly with the Chinese Society of Allergy Meeting in Beijing, China on September 5–7, 2019. In 2020, Japanese Society of Allergology/World Allergy Organization Joint Congress (WAC 2020) conjoint with the APAAACI/APAPARI 2020 Congress will be held in Kyoto on September 17–20. Please save the dates!