Why a registry of Chronic Urticaria (CUR) is needed.

Chronic urticaria (CU) has a major effect on patients' quality of life. While there have been progressive advances regarding its pathogenesis and treatment, much remains to be done. Registries of other chronic non-communicable diseases have shown many benefits, such as additional basic knowledge and management approaches to diabetes mellitus.

Meteorological conditions, climate change, new emerging factors, and asthma and related allergic disorders. A statement of the World Allergy Organization.

The prevalence of allergic airway diseases such as asthma and rhinitis has increased dramatically to epidemic proportions worldwide. Besides air pollution from industry derived emissions and motor vehicles, the rising trend can only be explained by gross changes in the environments where we live. The world economy has been transformed over the last 25 years with developing countries being at the core of these changes.

Drug-Induced Anaphylaxis in Latin American Countries.

Background: Information regarding the clinical features and management of drug-induced anaphylaxis (DIA) in Latin America is lacking.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess implicated medications, demographics, and treatments received for DIA in Latin American patients referred to national specialty centers for evaluation.

Method: A database previously used to compile information on drug-induced allergic reactions in 11 Latin American countries was used to identify and characterize patients presenting specifically with a clinical diagnosis of DIA.

The international survey on the management of allergic rhinitis by physicians and patients (ISMAR).

Epidemiologic studies suggest that the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) is rising worldwide. Several reports, in fact, indicate increasing trends in the prevalence of AR especially in developing countries, likely related to the environment and climate changes and the adoption of an urbanized Western lifestyle. The primary objective of the present study was to collect information about management in real-life settings, including a characterization of typical patients' profile referring to physicians, the disease features, the common approaches to diagnostic assessments and therapeutic decisions.

Four-year follow-up in children with moderate/severe uncontrolled asthma after withdrawal of a 1-year omalizumab treatment.

Purpose Of Review: Allergic asthma, which is the most frequent asthma phenotype, is mainly a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by elevated serum IgE levels and specific-IgE against common allergens. A significant group of asthmatic children have uncontrolled moderate/severe symptoms despite the use of medium/high doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in combination with another controller. Asthma guidelines suggest omalizumab as an add-on therapy in these children and recent evidence has shown the efficacy and safety of this mAb against IgE.

Asthma in the elderly: what we know and what we have yet to know.

In the past, asthma was considered mainly as a childhood disease. However, asthma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly nowadays. In addition, the burden of asthma is more significant in the elderly than in their younger counterparts, particularly with regard to mortality, hospitalization, medical costs or health-related quality of life.

Integrated care pathways for airway diseases (AIRWAYS-ICPs).

The objective of Integrated Care Pathways for Airway Diseases (AIRWAYS-ICPs) is to launch a collaboration to develop multi-sectoral care pathways for chronic respiratory diseases in European countries and regions. AIRWAYS-ICPs has strategic relevance to the European Union Health Strategy and will add value to existing public health knowledge by: 1) proposing a common framework of care pathways for chronic respiratory diseases, which will facilitate comparability and trans-national initiatives; 2) informing cost-effective policy development, strengthening in particular those on smoking and environmental exposure; 3) aiding risk stratification in chronic disease patients, using a common strategy; 4) having a significant impact on the health of citizens in the short term (reduction of morbidity, improvement of education in children and of work in adults) and in the long-term (healthy ageing); 5) proposing a common simulation tool to assist physicians; and 6) ultimately reducing the healthcare burden (emergency visits, avoidable hospitalisations, disability and costs) while improving quality of life. In the longer term, the incidence of disease may be reduced by innovative prevention strategies.

[ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma). Achievements in 10 years and future needs in Latin America].

Allergic rhinitis and asthma represent global problems of public health affecting all age groups; asthma and allergic rhinitis frequently coexist in the same patients. In Latin American prevalence of allergic rhinitis, although variable, is very high. Allergic rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) started during a workshop of the World Health Organization performed in 1999 and was published in 2001.

Sublingual immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization position paper 2013 update.

We have prepared this document, "Sublingual Immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization Position Paper 2013 Update", according to the evidence-based criteria, revising and updating chapters of the originally published paper, "Sublingual Immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization Position Paper 2009", available at http://www.waojournal.org.

Current status of therapy with omalizumab in children.

Purpose Of Review: There are a considerable number of patients with moderate-to-severe uncontrolled asthma needing additional therapy. Omalizumab, an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, improves control while reducing IgE-mediated airway inflammation and potentially interfering in the progressive remodeling process. The clinical implications are reductions in the required doses of inhaled steroids, a decrease in exacerbation number, and a reduction in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Allergy training and immunotherapy in Latin America: results of a regional overview.

Background: One main practice gap in allergology that has been detected in several regions of the world is the application of specific immunotherapy (SIT). The prescription and practice of SIT should characterize allergologic specialists, but there are regional discrepancies in such practice. A detailed knowledge of the regulatory and legislation aspects and drawbacks would help improve and harmonize SIT practice.

A WAO - ARIA - GA²LEN consensus document on molecular-based allergy diagnostics.

Molecular-based allergy (MA) diagnostics is an approach used to map the allergen sensitization of a patient at a molecular level, using purified natural or recombinant allergenic molecules (allergen components) instead of allergen extracts. Since its introduction, MA diagnostics has increasingly entered routine care, with currently more than 130 allergenic molecules commercially available for in vitro specific IgE (sIgE) testing.MA diagnostics allows for an increased accuracy in allergy diagnosis and prognosis and plays an important role in three key aspects of allergy diagnosis: (1) resolving genuine versus cross-reactive sensitization in poly-sensitized patients, thereby improving the understanding of triggering allergens; (2) assessing, in selected cases, the risk of severe, systemic versus mild, local reactions in food allergy, thereby reducing unnecessary anxiety for the patient and the need for food challenge testing; and (3) identifying patients and triggering allergens for specific immunotherapy (SIT).

Will sublingual immunotherapy offer benefit for asthma?

Evidence shows that sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is indicated in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR). In this article we discuss whether SLIT could offer benefit for children and adults with asthma.We reviewed individual trials on SLIT in asthmatic patients, but also asthma data reported in some SLIT trials conducted in AR patients.

Pediatric sublingual immunotherapy efficacy: evidence analysis, 2009-2012.

Objective: To perform a structured analysis of the latest scientific evidence obtained for the clinical efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in children.

Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, reference lists from reviews, and personal databases were reviewed for original articles on clinical trials with SLIT in patients younger than 18 years published from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2012, using broad search and medical subject heading terms.

Study Selections: Clinical trials, irrespective of their design, of SLIT in the treatment of respiratory and food allergy in patients 18 years or younger were selected.

Component-resolved diagnosis in pediatric allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma.

Purpose Of Review: The aim of this review is to update readers on the growing impact of a molecular approach (CRD) to the diagnosis and treatment of children with respiratory allergies

Recent Findings: A large panel of highly purified natural or recombinant species-specific and cross-reacting allergenic molecules is now available for clinical purposes. Species-specific molecules allow identifying specific sensitization toward a given allergenic source. Cross-reacting molecules allow interpreting polysensitization patterns that cannot be detailed using routine skin prick tests or specific IgE tests based on allergenic extracts.

Grading local side effects of sublingual immunotherapy for respiratory allergy: speaking the same language.

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is increasingly used worldwide. Despite its safety being well ascertained, there is no universally accepted system to grade and classify its adverse events (AEs). According to the literature, it seems reasonable to classify and grade systemic side effects by using the previously published World Allergy Organization recommendations.

Relieving nasal congestion in children with seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis: efficacy and safety studies of mometasone furoate nasal spray.

Background: In surveys of children with allergic rhinitis (AR), nasal congestion has been identified as the most frequently experienced and bothersome symptom. This analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) on congestion in children with AR.

Methods: Two multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies randomly assigned children to MFNS 100 μg or placebo, 1 spray/nostril QD for 4 weeks (Study 1: ages 6-11 years with seasonal AR [SAR] ≥1 year; Study 2: ages 3-11 years with perennial AR [PAR] ≥1 year).

Climate change, air pollution and extreme events leading to increasing prevalence of allergic respiratory diseases.

The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases has increased dramatically during the past few decades not only in industrialized countries. Urban air pollution from motor vehicles has been indicated as one of the major risk factors responsible for this increase.Although genetic factors are important in the development of asthma and allergic diseases, the rising trend can be explained only in changes occurred in the environment.

100 years of immunotherapy: the Monaco charter. under the high patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Aims of the Monaco Charter: (1) to present the current evidence on the efficacy and safety of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) and to address the reasons for its underuse in clinical practice; (2) to develop strategies to increase the awareness about the benefits and the hazards of SIT in allergic patients, lay public and healthcare professionals not trained in allergy, and (3) to make SIT accessible and affordable to eligible patients.

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA): achievements in 10 years and future needs.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma represent global health problems for all age groups. Asthma and rhinitis frequently coexist in the same subjects. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) was initiated during a World Health Organization workshop in 1999 (published in 2001).