Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
Volume 25, Issue 5, 2014, Pages 473-480

Cross-sectional comparison of the characteristics of respiratory allergy in immigrants and Italian children (Article)

Lombardi C. , Fiocchi A. , Raffetti E. , Donato F. , Canonica G.W. , Passalacqua G.* , Costantino M.T. , Grutta S.L. , Landi M. , Marcucci F. , Marseglia G. , Pajno G. , Ridolo E. , Tosca M. , Valvassori E.
  • a Pneumo-Allergologic Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatry, Poliambulanza Hospital, Brescia, Italy
  • b Allergy Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Bambin Gesù, Vatican City, Italy
  • c Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
  • d Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
  • e Allergy and Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS San Martino-IST-University of Genoa and the P-IGRAM, Genoa, Italy
  • f Allergy and Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS San Martino-IST-University of Genoa and the P-IGRAM, Genoa, Italy
  • g Allergy Unit, A.O. Poma, Mantua, Italy
  • h Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
  • i Pediatric National Healthcare System, Turin, Italy
  • j University of Perugia, Italy
  • k Dipartimento di Scienze Clinico-Chirurgiche, Diagnostiche e Pediatriche University of Pavia, Italy
  • l Department of Pediatrics, Allergy Unit, University of Messina, Italy
  • m Dept of Clinical Sciences, University of Parma, Italy
  • n Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonology, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
  • o Pediatric National Healthcare System, Brescia, Italy

Abstract

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. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Author Keywords

Children Allergic asthma immigrants Allergic rhinitis

Index Keywords

genetics immigrant multicenter study clinical trial human Ethnic Groups statistics and numerical data ethnic group priority journal comparative study Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study migrant Humans Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants asthma Dermatophagoides female preschool child Infant Italian (citizen) Genetic Predisposition to Disease genetic predisposition Child, Preschool immunology Article major clinical study Italy disease severity Respiratory Hypersensitivity rhinitis respiratory tract allergy grass sensitization Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84907308596&doi=10.1111%2fpai.12250&partnerID=40&md5=9644afc0af0a3c02c59aec3365789c47
DOI: 10.1111/pai.12250
ISSN: 09056157
Cited by: 12
Original Language: English