title: Allergen-specific IgE to food molecular components and age: From early childhood to adulthood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Respiratory allergy is characterised by an IgE-mediated reaction. The immune system functions, including IgE production, progressively decline over time with growing up and ageing. Molecular-based allergy diagnostic defines sensitisation profile. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of age on serum allergen-specific IgE to molecular component levels in a large sample of subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum IgE to: rCor a11, rPru p3, nJug r3, rAra h8, rGly m4, rCor a8, nPen m1, nAct d8, Bos d 8, and nGal d2 were assessed by ISAC method. Sera from 2795 patients, 1234 males (44.1%) and 1561 females (55.9%), median age 23 years (1st and 3rd quartiles: 9.7-43.7 years; age range: 1 month-103 years) were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of positive tests (i.e. sensitisation) tended to increase between birth and school-age until young adulthood and then decreased. A similar age-dependent trend was observed considering the levels of each allergen components: the levels of each allergen component tended to increase until early adulthood, but Gal d 2 and Bos d 8 (rapidly diminishing), and then to decrease over time. However, the pattern is significantly dependent on each single tested food.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Allergen-specific IgE production to food molecular components tend to reduce with ageing, but with differences between allergens. This phenomenon should be adequately evaluated managing allergic patients.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy Unit and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tosca
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy Unit and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy Unit and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Olcese
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy Unit and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pistorio
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy Unit and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, IRCCS-AOU San Martino, Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: gio.cip@libero.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciprandi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D057089:Pathology, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: Age; Allergen-specific IgE; Food allergen; ISAC; Molecular component; Serum