Studies Help Rank 50 Factors Influencing Child Allergy

A workshop starting today will hear that a European Union funded research project has standardised 20 birth cohorts so that their findings can be used to appraise the contribution of different known factors influencing allergy in childhood. Dr Susanne Lau, who leads the work programme on birth cohorts in the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GAІLEN), will describe the achievements of her study.

A unique Europe-wide database tracking 50 factors that may have an affect on allergy in children will be presented on Tuesday, 12 September 2006. The announcement will be made at a workshop on birth cohort and intervention studies in Berlin (1).

The achievement is the initiative of GAІLEN, an EU-funded research "network of excellence" on allergies and asthma (2). Dr. Susanne Lau, who is responsible for the Birth Cohort project involving 30 researchers and their teams in centres throughout Europe, will present her work. She says: "Collaboration with so many European teams is a fantastic asset for the quality of our research projects and for the quality of their results. We'll be able to paint a much more accurate picture of key factors influencing allergies even if we can't make comparisons on prevalence and cause-effect relationships."

The significance of this scientific work by one of Europe's largest network on allergies and asthma has been acknowledged internationally. A research team in Australia have asked permission to use the European model for a database on allergies for the Asian-Pacific region.

Two scientific papers about 18 of the 20 harmonised birth cohorts on children and asthma, allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or eczema have recently appeared in Allergy journal. (3) The 30,000 children involved in these study groups, or birth cohorts, are spread through different countries in Europe, though most are living in urban areas. Many of the children continue to be involved in ongoing studies.

Not all 50 influencing factors are followed in all the harmonised birth cohorts. However, the huge new database means that larger sub-samples are available to medical scientists for analysis. This opens up new possibilities for greater accuracy in assessing not only the risks associated with the development of allergy but also the factors that may play a role in prevention. Some of influencing variables in the overall database are pet exposure, tobacco smoke exposure, number of siblings, atopic family history, housing conditions, delivery, medications, infections, and the results of allergen testing, such as IgE both in the child's blood and in the cord blood before the child was born.

One sub-sample provides the results of skin prick test for IgE of 1,000 children during the first six years of life. Each child was tested for grass, tree pollen, mite, cat, dog, cow's milk and hen's egg allergens. These results can be correlated with assessments of the symptoms associated with asthma (wheezing) and allergic rhinitis in the same sub-group. Information on symptoms is more generally available because most studies have used a standard questionnaire developed by a major international study known as ISAAC. (4) Both "parental perception of symptoms" and "doctor's diagnosis of asthma" are usually available.

One of the main objectives of GAІLEN is to spread excellence in the domain of research on allergy and asthma. Rising prevalence of allergic disease is a growing public health problem. (5) "This large, standardised data base, plus the harmonization of follow up procedures and study design, can increase the quality of the studies and therefore contribute to worldwide understanding of the factors influencing allergy diseases," Dr Lau says.

Joint workshop

The aim of the workshop (12-13 September) is to provide support to those planning and conducting both longitudinal birth cohort and intervention studies to investigate or prevent allergies and asthma. It is organised jointly with EuroPREVALL (6), an EU-funded research project on food allergies, based in Berlin where the workshop will take place.

EuroPREVALL is currently developing an intervention study of food allergies in during the first year of life. Recruitment began in October 2005 and eight centres are already active (Germany, Poland, Greece, the UK, the Netherlands, Iceland, Lithuania and Spain). Of the 4,000 infants being followed to date, 66 (1.5 per cent) have developed symptoms that may indicate a food-related allergy. Clinicians are following these children more closely, and for each child with symptoms, two age-matched controls will be given the allergen tests so that results can be compared.

About the GAІLEN

GAІLEN, "Global Allergy and Asthma European Network", is a Network of Excellence funded by the European Union under the 6th Framework Programme. GAІLEN leading research teams address all aspects of allergic diseases, including asthma, with a multidisciplinary approach. The objectives are to enhance the quality and integration in European research and to accelerate the application of results to clinical practice, patients' needs and policy development.

GAІLEN

Avenue Louise 327
BP6
http://www.ga2len.net