title: Particularities of allergy in the Tropics.
abstract: Allergic diseases are distributed worldwide and their risk factors and triggers vary according to geographical and socioeconomic conditions. Allergies are frequent in the Tropics but aspects of their prevalence, natural history, risk factors, sensitizers and triggers are not well defined and some are expected to be different from those in temperate zone countries. The aim of this review is to investigate if allergic diseases in the Tropics have particularities that deserve special attention for research and clinical practice. Such information will help to form a better understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of allergic diseases in the Tropics. As expected, we found particularities in the Tropics that merit further study because they strongly affect the natural history of common allergic diseases; most of them related to climate conditions that favor permanent exposure to mite allergens, helminth infections and stinging insects. In addition, we detected several unmet needs in important areas which should be investigated and solved by collaborative efforts led by the emergent research groups on allergy from tropical countries.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cra. 5 # 7-77, Cartagena, Colombia.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caraballo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cra. 5 # 7-77, Cartagena, Colombia.
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zakzuk
authors.affiliation: Khoo Teck Puat- National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore ; Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Bee Wah
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Translational Immunology Unit, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Acevedo
authors.affiliation: Khoo Teck Puat- National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore ; Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jian Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.affiliation: Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Centro Médico- Docente La Trinidad and Clínica El Avila, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Borges
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Unit, Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hossny
authors.affiliation: Allergy Section, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Parana, Rua General Carneiro, Curitiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rosario
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Immunology, Hospital Quirón Bizkaia, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ansotegui
authors.affiliation: Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cra. 5 # 7-77, Cartagena, Colombia.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puerta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Graduate Program on Allergology, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Allergy Section, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cardona
keywords: Allergens; Allergy; Anaphylaxis; Asthma; Atopic dermatitis; Helminthiases; House dust mite; Natural history; Papular urticaria; Rhinitis; The Tropics