Molecular sensitization patterns and influence of molecular diagnosis in immunotherapy prescription in children sensitized to both grass and olive pollen.

Background: The overlapping grass and olive pollen seasons in Spain and the phenomenon of cross-reactivity can make it difficult to determine the true causative agent of seasonal allergic rhinitis when only skin prick tests with whole extracts are used. The aim of the GRAMOLE study was to determine sensitization patterns to the major grass and olive pollen allergens detected using specific recombinant IgE and to explore how this knowledge affected physicians' choice of allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Methods: Epidemiological, observational, multicenter, cross-sectional study.

Diet for the prevention of asthma and allergies in early childhood: much ado about something?

In the last decades there has been an increase in allergic disease throughout the world, particularly in children. Attempts have been made to identify the causes of this "allergy epidemic" in environmental changes and changes in population hygiene, lifestyle, socioeconomic level, and eating habits that would exert epigenetic effects. Dietetic hypotheses have been mainly focussed in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin D, antioxidants, Mediterranean diet, and fruits, vegetables and fish consumption.

Prevalence and associated factors of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in children.

Allergic disorders are the chronic diseases of greatest pediatric morbidity, affecting over 25 % of the pediatric population. Indeed, this situation has been referred to as an "allergic epidemic". In comparison with asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis have been less extensively investigated, although this does not mean that they should be regarded as minor disorders but rather as alterations that affect the quality of life of the patients and their families, which generate considerable direct and indirect costs.

Safety of endobronchial biopsy in children with cystic fibrosis.

There is little found in the published literature regarding the use of endobronchial biopsy (EBB) in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). One concern over the use of the technique may relate to safety, in particular increased risk of bleeding from a hypertrophied bronchial circulation. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the safety of EBB in children with CF and those with other conditions, the most frequent of which included primary ciliary dyskinesia and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections.