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Asthmatic Infants and Children Have
Higher Sensitivities to Certain Allergens
- Information Gained from Allergy Blood Test May Help Manage Patients More Effectively -
PORTAGE, MI, June 20, 2006—A study presented at ATS 2006, The International Conference of the American Thoracic Society, used ImmunoCAP® Specific IgE blood test to determine that young asthmatic patients had higher sensitivities for specific allergens compared to children with other inflammatory lung diseases.
"By identifying these sensitivities in asthmatic children early on, healthcare providers can recommend avoidance strategies, so that patients minimize their exposure to triggers, which collectively are responsible for pushing them over their allergic threshold and intensifying allergy and asthma symptoms," said Douglas N. Homnick, MD, MPH, Director, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Michigan State University Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies. "The knowledge gained from specific IgE testing allows physicians to manage patients appropriately, improve symptoms, and potentially reduce or prevent asthma attacks."
This study evaluated 182 children from newborns to six years of age who were either healthy or had asthma, cystic fibrosis or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Previous studies with asthmatics have typically looked at older children. Patients were tested with ImmunoCAP for sensitivities to airborne allergens, food allergens and total IgE levels. The study found that asthma patients had higher sensitization rates to airborne allergens than other patient populations, and forty percent of the asthmatic patients tested positive to one or more allergens.
"Disruption of the airway from inflammatory lung disease, other than asthma, does not appear to put patients at greater risk for developing sensitivities to aeroallergens early in life," said
Dr. Homnick. "However, asthma attacks are often triggered by allergens, so physicians must identify those patients who are at risk and make necessary adjustments to their environment in order to improve their well-being."
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, nearly five million children have asthma, which results in ten million school absences per year. Furthermore, children with asthma make more than 2.7 million physician visits annually and require 200,000 hospitalizations. The annual cost of treating children with asthma is estimated to be $1.9 billion.
ImmunoCAP is the first allergy test to be cleared by the FDA as a truly quantitative test for pinpointing allergens. Allergy blood testing is recognized by the National Institutes of Health for the management of patients with asthma. The ImmunoCAP technology works by measuring IgE antibodies to specific allergens in a small sample of blood. Specific IgE is produced as a result of sensitization to an allergen and increases with exposure to that substance. A study published in the April issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology also supports the use of ImmunoCAP in patients taking Xolair™ (omalizumab), as it is the only test that accurately measures IgE levels in people taking this medication.
Pharmacia Diagnostics AB, headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden, is the world leader in in vitro IgE diagnostic research and product development. Its U.S. affiliate is in Portage, Michigan.
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