title: House dust mite sensitization in toddlers predicts current wheeze at age 12 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Identification of children at risk of developing asthma provides a window of opportunity for risk-reducing interventions. Allergen sensitization might identify high-risk children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine whether skin prick tests (SPTs) to individual allergens up to age 2 years predict wheeze at age 12 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a birth cohort of 620 children oversampled for familial allergy, sensitization was assessed by using SPTs (monosensitized, polysensitized, or either) to 6 allergens at ages 6, 12, and 24 months. Wheeze and eczema were recorded 18 times during the first 2 years. Current wheeze was recorded at age 12 years. Adjusted associations were evaluated by multiple logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A positive SPT to house dust mite (HDM) at age 1 or 2 years predicted wheeze at age 12 years (adjusted odds ratio: 1 year, 3.31 [95% CI 1.59-6.91]; 2 years, 6.37 [95% CI, 3.48-11.66]). Among wheezy 1-year-olds, those who were HDM sensitized had a 75% (95% CI, 51% to 91%) probability of wheeze at age 12 years compared with a 36% (95% CI, 23% to 50%) probability among those not sensitized. Among eczematous 1-year-olds, those who were HDM sensitized had a 67% (95% CI, 45% to 84%) probability of wheeze at age 12 years compared with a 35% (95% CI, 25% to 45%) probability among those not sensitized. Among 1-year-old children with both eczema and wheeze, the probability of wheeze at age 12 years was 64% (95% CI, 35% to 87%) if HDM sensitized and 50% (95% CI, 26% to 74%) if not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HDM sensitization at age 1 or 2 years in wheezing and eczematous children at increased familial allergy risk predicts asthma and may inform management of these high-risk groups.
authors.affiliation: Centre for MEGA Epidemiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. clodge@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Caroline J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lodge
authors.forename: Adrian J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Lyle C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gurrin
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Clifford S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hosking
authors.forename: Rida U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Khalafzai
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: Melanie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Matheson
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.forename: Katrina J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Shyamali C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Dharmage
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D039981:Pyroglyphidae; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens