Local allergic rhinitis: evolution of concepts.

The discovery of an exclusive local production of IgE antibodies dates back to the 1970s, but only recently the pathophysiology of such phenomenon was deeply investigated, leading to the concept of local allergic rhinitis (LAR). Currently, LAR is defined by the occurrence, in patients with symptoms clearly suggesting allergic rhinitis but with negative results to common allergy testing, of allergen specific IgE in the nasal mucosa. Most studies investigating LAR were based on the development of rhinitis symptoms following nasal provocation test (NPT) with the suspected allergens, but such test may be performed by a number of options, none of them being as yet acknowledged and recommended in consensus document.

Utility of the Atopy Patch Test in the Diagnosis of Allergic Rhinitis.

Introduction: The diagnostic work-up of allergic rhinitis (AR) is first and foremost based on the combination of clinical history data and results of skin prick tests (SPT). Other tests, including specific IgE measurement, nasal challenge, and, as a third option, component resolved diagnosis or basophil activation test, may be useful when the diagnosis is difficult because of polysensitization or when negative results of SPT are observed despite a suggestive history for allergy. The atopy patch test (APT) that assesses the type 4 delayed hypersensitivity allergy is currently not sufficiently used.

High Discrepancy in Abdominal Obesity Prevalence According to Different Waist Circumference Cut-Offs and Measurement Methods in Children: Need for Age-Risk-Weighted Standardized Cut-Offs?

Background: Waist circumference (WC) is a good proxy measure of central adiposity. Due to the multiplicity of existing WC cut-offs and different measurement methods, the decision to use one rather than another WC chart may lead to different prevalence estimates of abdominal obesity in the same population. Aim of our study was to assess how much the prevalence of abdominal obesity varies in Italian schoolchildren using the different available WC cut-offs.

Longitudinal Assessment of Blood Pressure in School-Aged Children: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study.

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of abnormal blood pressure in a population of school children during a 3-year follow-up period and its relationship with obesity. Anthropometric and blood pressure data were collected from a population of Italian school children during three consecutive years. During each year blood pressure measurements were repeated three times, at intervals of 1 week.

Erratum: Prevalence of positive atopy patch test in an unselected pediatric population.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s12948-015-0011-2.].