The impact of age on serum allergen-specific IgE to inhaled molecular components.
BACKGROUND
Respiratory allergy is characterised by an IgE-mediated reaction. The immune system functions, including IgE production, progressively decline over time, such as 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: Phl p1, Bet v1, Ole e1, Cup a1, Par j2, Can f1, Der p2, and Fel d1 were assessed by ISAC method. Sera from 2788 patients, 1230 males (44.1%) and 1558 females (55.9%), median age 23 years (1st and 3rd quartiles: 9.7-49.7 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 till young adulthood and then decreased (p<0.0001) with the exception of Fel d 1 (p=0.14). A similar age-dependent trend was observed considering the levels of each allergen components: the levels of each allergen component, with the exception of Fel d 1, tended to increase till early adulthood and then to decrease reaching the lowest levels in the elderly.


CONCLUSIONS
Allergen-specific IgE production to inhaled molecular components trend to reduce with ageing, but with differences between allergens. This phenomenon should be adequately evaluated managing allergic patients.
Pediatric Pneumology and Allergy, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
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Tosca
Pediatric Pneumology and Allergy, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
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Silvestri
Pediatric Pneumology and Allergy, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
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Olcese
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Service, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
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Pistorio
Pediatric Pneumology and Allergy, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
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Rossi
Internal Medicine Department, IRCCS-AOU San Martino, Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: gio.cip@libero.it.
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Ciprandi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
Age; Allergen-specific IgE; ISAC; Inhaled allergen; Molecular component; Serum