title: GA(2)LEN skin test study II: clinical relevance of inhalant allergen sensitizations in Europe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Skin prick testing is the standard for diagnosing IgE-mediated allergies. A positive skin prick reaction, however, does not always correlate with clinical symptoms. A large database from a Global Asthma and Allergy European Network (GA(2)LEN) study with data on clinical relevance was used to determine the clinical relevance of sensitizations against the 18 most frequent inhalant allergens in Europe. The study population consisted of patients referred to one of the 17 allergy centres in 14 European countries (n = 3034, median age = 33 years). The aim of the study was to assess the clinical relevance of positive skin prick test reactions against inhalant allergens considering the predominating type of symptoms in a pan-European population of patients presenting with suspected allergic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical relevance of skin prick tests was recorded with regard to patient history and optional additional tests. A putative correlation between sensitization and allergic disease was assessed using logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While an overall rate of >or=60% clinically relevant sensitizations was observed in all countries, a differential distribution of clinically relevant sensitizations was demonstrated depending on type of allergen and country where the prick test was performed. Furthermore, a significant correlation between the presence of allergic disease and the number of sensitizations was demonstrated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study strongly emphasizes the importance of evaluating the clinical relevance of positive skin prick tests and calls for further studies, which may, ultimately, help increase the positive predictive value of allergy testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité Universitätsmedizin-Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Burbach
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité Universitätsmedizin-Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Heinzerling
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité Universitätsmedizin-Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Edenharter
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
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authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Allergy Centre, Odense, Denmark.
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authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy.
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authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Montpellier, France.
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authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Montpellier, France.
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authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Montpellier, France.
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authors.lastname: Bousquet
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy.
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authors.lastname: Bresciani
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Palermo, Italy.
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authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.affiliation: Allergy Centre, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Canonica
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy Biederstein and Division of Environmental Dermatology and Allergy Helmholtz Center, Technical University, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany.
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authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Darsow
authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demoly
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: S
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authors.lastname: Durham
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W J
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authors.lastname: Fokkens
authors.affiliation: Allergy Department, 2nd Pediatric Clinic, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece.
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authors.lastname: Giavi
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Palermo, Italy.
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authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy.
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authors.lastname: Gramiccioni
authors.affiliation: University Central Hospital, Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
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authors.lastname: Haahtela
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.affiliation: Allergy Centre, Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: P
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authors.lastname: Magyar
authors.affiliation: Allergy Centre, Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest, Hungary.
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authors.lastname: Muraközi
authors.affiliation: Allergy Centre, Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: M
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authors.lastname: Orosz
authors.affiliation: Allergy Department, 2nd Pediatric Clinic, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité Universitätsmedizin-Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Röhnelt
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stingl
authors.affiliation: Allergy Centre, Department of Pulmonology, Coimbra University, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Todo-Bom
authors.affiliation: Allergy Centre, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Von Mutius
authors.affiliation: Allergy Centre, Children's University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wöhrl
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité Universitätsmedizin-Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004285:Dogs; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D006109:Poaceae / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D010940:Plant Proteins