title: Changes in IgE sensitization and total IgE levels over 20 years of follow-up.
abstract: Cross-sectional studies have reported a lower prevalence of sensitization in older adults, but few longitudinal studies have examined whether this is an aging or a year-of-birth cohort effect.
  
  
  
  We sought to assess changes in sensitization and total IgE levels in a cohort of European adults as they aged over a 20-year period.
  
  
  
  Levels of serum specific IgE to common aeroallergens (house dust mite, cat, and grass) and total IgE levels were measured in 3206 adults from 25 centers in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey on 3 occasions over 20 years. Changes in sensitization and total IgE levels were analyzed by using regression analysis corrected for potential differences in laboratory equipment and by using inverse sampling probability weights to account for nonresponse.
  
  
  
  Over the 20-year follow-up, the prevalence of sensitization to at least 1 of the 3 allergens decreased from 29.4% to 24.8% (-4.6%; 95% CI, -7.0% to -2.1%). The prevalence of sensitization to house dust mite (-4.3%; 95% CI, -6.0% to -2.6%) and cat (-2.1%; 95% CI, -3.6% to -0.7%) decreased more than sensitization to grass (-0.6%; 95% CI, -2.5% to 1.3%). Age-specific prevalence of sensitization to house dust mite and cat did not differ between year-of-birth cohorts, but sensitization to grass was most prevalent in the most recent ones. Overall, total IgE levels decreased significantly (geometric mean ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.58-0.68) at all ages in all year-of-birth cohorts.
  
  
  
  Aging was associated with lower levels of sensitization, especially to house dust mite and cat, after the age of 20 years.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Epidemiology, Occupational Medicine and Public Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: a.amaral@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: André F S
authors.initials: AFS
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Epidemiology, Occupational Medicine and Public Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom; Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Roger B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Newson
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Antó
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation-University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Corsico
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Marco
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Division of Allergy, Arnaud de Villeneuve Hospital, CHU Montpellier, and EPAR Team-UMR-S 1136 INSERM, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demoly
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bertil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland; Department of Respiratory Medicine and Sleep, Landspitali-The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Thorarinn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gislason
authors.affiliation: Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich, Germany; Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Inner City Clinic, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.affiliation: Epidemiological Surveillance Section, Directorate General of Public Health, Department of Health of Asturias, Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Ismael
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huerta
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences: Respiratory, Allergy and Sleep Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Janson
authors.affiliation: Tartu University Hospital, Lung Clinic, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Rain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jõgi
authors.affiliation: Department of Publich Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jeong-Lim
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Unit of Clinical Management of Pneumology and Allergy, University Hospital of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pneumology, University Hospital of Albacete, Albacete, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinez-Moratalla Rovira
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR1152, Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot Paris 7, UMR1152, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neukirch
authors.affiliation: Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Inner City Clinic, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität of Munich, and the German Center for Lung Research, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.affiliation: Pédiatrie, Pole Couple Enfants, CHU de Grenoble, Grenoble, France; INSERM U823, Institut Albert Bonniot, Grenoble, France; Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pin
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Probst-Hensch
authors.affiliation: INSERM U897, Institute of Public health and Epidemiology, Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raherison-Semjen
authors.affiliation: Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Cecilie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svanes
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, Galdakao Hospital, Galdakao, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Urrutia Landa
authors.affiliation: Departments of Experimental Immunology and of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Ree
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Serge A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Versteeg
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Social Medicine and the StatUA Statistics Centre, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weyler
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jan-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zock
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Epidemiology, Occupational Medicine and Public Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter G J
authors.initials: PGJ
authors.lastname: Burney
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Epidemiology, Occupational Medicine and Public Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Jarvis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005060:Europe; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000276:immunology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: Allergens; IgE; aging; cohort study; epidemiology; immunosenescence; longitudinal analysis; sensitization