Asthma and Sensitization Pattern in Children

Abstract

The prevalence of specific sensitization and its clinical relevance for the development of allergic diseases and asthma is one of the subjects currently being in the focus of scientific studies. In the field of asthma we find additionally several studies of occupational asthma with specific sensitization and of treatment efficacy and duration of omalizumab in asthma patients with high IgE levels, which will not be discussed in this chapter. Several other studies focus on general aspects of sensitization pattern or classification of specific sensitization corresponding to type or severity of asthma or globally the development of asthma in different populations. Based on a short literature review of such studies we will finally present own representative data of our German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). In this presentation we will describe specific IgE levels to several common aeroallergens in asthmatic and nonasthmatic children, search for a possible correlation between the number of sensitizations and the development of asthma and correlations between age, gender, social and migration status and rural or urban residency of the children and their sensitization status. Finally we will try to identify high risk mono- and polysensitization for asthma and will compare typical combinations of sensitizations in children with and without asthma.