MethodsChildren (age 4-18yr) affected by pollen-induced AR who had never undergone selleck compound SIT were recruited between May 2009 and June 2011 in 16 pediatric outpatient clinics in 14 Italian cities. Recruited children’s parents

answered standardized questionnaires on atopic diseases (International Study of Allergy and Asthma in Childhood, Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma, Global Initiative for Asthma). The children underwent skin-prick test (SPT) with several airborne allergens and six food allergens. Information on socio-demographic factors, parental history of allergic diseases, education, perinatal events, breastfeeding, nutrition and environmental exposure in early life was collected through an informatics platform shared by the whole network of clinical centers (AllergyCARD).

ResultsAmong the 1360 recruited patients (68% males, age 10.53.4yr), 695 (51%) had moderate-to-severe AR, 533 (39%) asthma, and 325 (23.9%) oral allergy syndrome (OAS). Reported onset of pollen-induced AR was on average at 5.32.8yr, and its mean duration from onset was 5.2 +/- 3.3yr. Only 6.2%

of the patients were pollen-monosensitized, and 84.9% were sensitized to 3 pollens. A longer AR duration C59 Wnt order was significantly associated with moderate-to-severe AR symptoms (p 0.004), asthma (p 0.030), and OAS comorbidities (p<0.001).

ConclusionsThis nationwide study may raise awareness of the severity of pollen-induced AR among Italian children who have never received pollen SIT. The strong association between pollen-induced AR duration and several markers of disease severity needs replication in longitudinal studies, while suggesting that countrywide initiatives for earlier diagnosis and intervention should be planned.

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“The association of chronic urticaria and autoimmune thyroid disease has been

well recognized. Some authors observed relationship between thyroid autoimmunity and chronic autoimmune urticaria.

The primary objective was to evaluate thyroid autoimmunity and thyroid function in chronic urticaria. Secondary A-1155463 purchase objective was to correlate results of antibodies to thyroid peroxidase and markers of autoimmune urticaria (autologous serum skin test and CD63 expression).

128 patients with chronic urticaria were evaluated for antibodies to thyroid peroxidase, autologous serum skin test and donor basophil CD63 expression induced by patients sera. Thyroid-stimulating hormone was performed in all patients with elevated antibodies to thyroid peroxidase and 48 patients with normal level of antibodies.

Antibodies to thyroid peroxidase were elevated in 25.0% patients. Thyroid function was abnormal in 28.1% patients with elevated antibodies to thyroid peroxidase and 8.3% patients with normal antibodies level.