Global Asthma Network Phase I study in Mexico: prevalence of asthma symptoms, risk factors and altitude associations-a cross-sectional study.

Background: Global Asthma Network (GAN) was established in 2012 as a development to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood to improve asthma care globally.

Objective: To survey asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in primary and secondary school children and to investigate and evaluate its prevalence, severity, management and risk factors in Mexico.

Methods: GAN Phase I is a cross-sectional, multicentre survey carried out in 15 centres corresponding to 14 Mexican cities throughout 2016-2019 using the validated Spanish language version of the GAN Phase I questionnaires.

In the (sub)tropics allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma classification of allergic rhinitis is more useful than perennial-seasonal classification.

Background: Two different allergic rhinitis (AR) symptom phenotype classifications exist. Treatment recommendations are based on intermittent-persistent (INT-PER) cataloging, but clinical trials still use the former seasonal AR-perennial AR (SAR-PAR) classification. This study was designed to describe how INT-PER, mild-moderate/severe and SAR-PAR of patients seen by allergists are distributed over the different climate zones in a (sub)tropical country and how these phenotypes relate to allergen sensitization patterns.

Allergen sensitization linked to climate and age, not to intermittent-persistent rhinitis in a cross-sectional cohort study in the (sub)tropics.

Background: Allergen exposure leads to allergen sensitization in susceptible individuals and this might influence allergic rhinitis (AR) phenotype expression. We investigated whether sensitization patterns vary in a country with subtropical and tropical regions and if sensitization patterns relate to AR phenotypes or age.

Methods: In a national, cross-sectional study AR patients (2-70 y) seen by allergists underwent blinded skin prick testing with a panel of 18 allergens and completed a validated questionnaire on AR phenotypes.