Skip to main content

Highlights and recent developments in skin allergy and related diseases in EAACI journals (2018)

A Correction to this article was published on 15 September 2020

This article has been updated

Abstract

The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) supports three journals: Allergy, Paediatric Allergy and Immunology as well as Clinical and Translational Allergy. The major goals of EAACI include (i) supporting health promotion in which the prevention of allergy and asthma plays a critical role and (ii) disseminating the knowledge of allergy to all stakeholders including the EAACI junior members. Substantial progress was made in 2018 in the identification of basic mechanisms of atopic dermatitis and urticaria and the translation of these mechanisms into clinics. Many large epidemiologic studies and meta-analyses have been the highlights of the last year.

Introduction

The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) supports three official journals: Allergy, Paediatric Allergy and Immunology as well as Clinical and Translational Allergy. The major goals of EAACI include (i) supporting health promotion in which the prevention and control of allergy plays a critical role and (ii) disseminating the knowledge of allergy to all stakeholders including the EAACI Junior Members. The EAACI journals reported advances in allergy in 2017 [1, 2] and 2018 [3]. This paper summarizes the achievements of 2018 in atopic dermatitis and urticaria. The position papers and EAACI/WAO/GA2LEN guidelines are summarized.

Atopic dermatitis

Mechanisms

Atopic dermatitis (AD), commonly known as eczema, is a chronic skin disorder associated with skin barrier dysfunction that is characterized by dry, itchy skin (pruritus). Interleukin-31 (IL-31) secreted by T-helper 2 (TH2) cells induces the itchy symptoms. The role of IL-31 in the pathogenesis of AD and novel therapeutic strategies targeting its receptor have been recently reviewed [4].

AD patients have an altered skin microbiome composition characterized by an increased colonization of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) which is associated with disease severity. In addition, AD patients have a reduced expression of toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) receptors in Langerhans cells (LC) and inflammatory dendritic epidermal cells (IDEC) compared to healthy controls [5]. Ex vivo human skin models were treated with the TLR2 ligand Pam3Cys, a mimic of S. aureus. In contrast to healthy skin, LC and IDEC lacked maturation and had a strong spontaneous migratory activity. The supernatant of AD skin showed significantly reduced levels of IL-6 and IL-10 and an overexpression of IL-18.

A novel mechanism involved in epidermal barrier dysfunction was recently reported in a mouse model of allergic inflammation and in AD patients [6]. It was found that IL-24 downregulates filaggrin expression and is produced in keratinocytes by the stimulation of IL-13 in a periostin-dependent manner. Elevated levels of IL-24 and activated STAT3 were found in the epidermis of the mouse model and of AD patients.

The role of the pruritogenic mediator endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathogenesis of AD was recently investigated in mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) [7]. ET-1 was significantly upregulated in the epidermis of AD patients and stimulated the production of Th1 and Th17 cytokines from BMDCs in a concentration-dependent manner. This switch to a Th17/Th1 response may contribute to the chronic lesions in AD patients.

Studies in a human AD-like mouse model revealed novel mechanistic insights that support a link between cell infiltration of the hypodermis to local mast cell activation and elevated levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) after antigen exposure [8]. Neuromedin U (NMU) released from keratinocytes induces the degranulation of mast cells via pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein-coupled receptors [9].

Exposure to air pollution aggravates the symptoms of AD in children in the population studies. Variability in the individual patient’s response from individual susceptibility needs to be explored. In 89 children aged 0–6 years with AD, daily manifestation of symptoms was recorded for an average of 257 days and confronted to pollution levels [10]. In the overall analysis, ozone, particulate matter < 10 μm (PM10), NO2, SO2, and CO had a significantly positive association, whereas temperature and relative humidity were negatively associated with AD symptoms. However, responses of AD children to air pollution and weather variables were inconsistent among individuals.

Epidemiologic studies

Earlier studies have shown an association between the month of birth and the severity of atopic dermatitis. In one study, Armenian children were investigated for the severity of their eczema in relation to the month of birth. It was found that children born in the winter had more severe eczema. The authors hypothesized, in relation to earlier findings, that the severity of eczema could be related to an early exposure to common environmental allergens [11].

Data of the epidemiology of atopic dermatitis were collected in an online survey from patients in the US, Canada, France Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and Japan [12]. The respondents were characterized and selected if they met the UK Working Party/ISAAC criteria and had been previously diagnosed by a physician. There was a decreased prevalence of AD with age and, except for the US, a higher prevalence among women. Only a small portion suffered severe AD across all regions. The severity of AD varied according to the different assessment scales used (Patient-Oriented SCORAD, Patient-Orientated Eczema Measure, and Patient Global Assessment).

The plan for the Preventing Atopic Dermatitis and ALLergies (PreventADALL) in children study has been recently reported [13]. Its main objectives are the prevention of allergic diseases by assessing early-life risk factors, including microbial diversity, diet, lifestyle, and gene–environment interactions, using simple cost-efficient strategies. Children born by cesarean section and by assisted birth are at an increased risk of developing flexural eczema in childhood/early adulthood [14].

There are limited and conflicting reports on the long-term clinical course of AD. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 2080 references and 7 birth cohort studies with a total of 13,515 participants indicated that there is a similar prevalence of AD in childhood and adolescence [15]. Undergoing thymectomy in early childhood was associated with a reduced risk of AD but was only statistically significant in a model where time-dependent changes were not included [16].

Severity scores

Reliability and validity of the AD Symptom Score (ADSS) were studied in 307 children and adolescents with AD [17]. Parents or caregivers were asked to record daily symptoms of the patients (itching, sleep disturbance, erythema, dryness, oozing, and edema) using a scale of 0–4. The ADSS was found be a useful tool for the self-assessment of skin symptoms in children with AD.

A recent study has validated the use of patient-reported AD severity assessment using a single question with a simple scoring system of mild, moderate and severe [18]. The responses from 265 adult patients significantly correlated with other outcome measures, including oSCORAD, SCORAD, EASI, BSA, NRS-itch, POEM, and DLQI, and were further confirmed by a dermatologist.

Multimorbidities

The association between AD and cardio-metabolic risk factors is not fully understood, partly due to the lack of validated questionnaire-based methods to identify adults with AD. In an attempt to investigate the association of cardio-metabolic risk factors in AD patients, data collected from 9656 Danish adults were analyzed using three different cardiovascular risk questionnaires [19]. There was a large discrepancy in the results from each questionnaire and so a definite conclusion could not be reached. These results highlight the need for clinical diagnosis of AD by a dermatologist and the fact that responses from questionnaires should be carefully interpreted.

In a nationwide, population-based cohort study (Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database), the association between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and AD was sought in 120,736 children [20]. This study revealed an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnoea in children with AD. Therefore, comprehensive evaluation and aggressive risk reduction for obstructive sleep apnoea are recommended in these patients.

AD can significantly impact quality-of-life to the point that it can affect mental health. Data collected from the Danish health registry and a population-based questionnaire indicated that AD patients had an increased risk of mild anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation compared to non-AD subjects but did not result in psychiatric hospitalization or suicide [21]. Early antihistamine exposure for the treatment of AD was associated with increased attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in children aged 6–12 years. The study questionnaire asked parents whether their child had used systemic antihistamines to treat AD but did not distinguish between sedating and non-sedating H1-antihistamines. The authors noted that there is a need to further investigate the role of sleeping problems and its treatment with (sedating) antihistamines in young children concerning early-life development and the potential risk for ADHD in children with AD [22].

Prevention and treatment

The protective effect of the Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccination to reduce the risk of allergic diseases, including AD, is unclear. A recent study from the Danish Calmette (2012–2015) found that the clinical outcome of the BCG vaccination differed for children with and without atopic predisposition [23]. The cumulative incidence of AD was reduced by 16% in infants with an atopic predisposition. Oral antigen administration in mice has a protective effect against AD by promoting the increased expression of genes involved in the regulation of Th2 inflammatory responses and skin barrier function [24].

A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial assessed the effects of melatonin administration on disease severity and sleep quality in 70 children with AD [25]. Overall, melatonin supplementation had beneficial effects on disease severity, serum total IgE levels, and on the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ).

The efficacy of allergen-specific subcutaneous immunotherapy (SIT) as a curative treatment for atopic dermatitis remains controversial. A murine model was established to investigate the clinical efficacy of SIT [26]. The DfE-treated NC/Nga mice showed clinical, histological and immunological improvement with elevated levels of IL-10 producing Treg cells and NK cells.

The potential use of superoxide dismutase 3-transducer (SOD3) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as a novel cell-based therapy for AD, was demonstrated in a mouse model of OVA-induced AD-like skin inflammation [27]. Mice with AD that received a subcutaneous administration of SOD3-MSCs showed an improvement of skin thickening and inflammation compared to control mice. The reduced skin inflammation was attributed to the inhibition of the histamine H4 receptor, MAPK/NFkB activation and JAK/STAT signalling.

Maternal exposure to a farming environment protects newborns against allergic diseases including AD by modulating the neonatal TLR-Tregs-Th axis [28].

In cats and dogs, there are pathogenetic similarities with human AD. This is often a difficult disease for animals and their owners [29].

Urticaria

Mechanisms and risk factors

Salt-dependent aquagenic urticaria is rare and has only ever been reported in adults, especially young women. Two cases of salt-dependent aquagenic urticaria have now been reported in children [30].

Two additional cases of cancer and chronic urticaria have also been reported [31, 32]. The urticaria resolved once the tumour was removed. A review of 25 previous reports of chronic urticaria and malignancy raises the possibility that CU and malignancies are linked in some patients [3].

Exposure to phthalates increases the risk of acute urticaria in children [33].

A recent study in 49 Caucasian CSU patients found elevated levels of specific IgE against a mix of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins (SEs) in 51% of patients compared to 33% in healthy controls [34]. Total serum IgE levels and CSU disease activity were correlated with Staphylococcus enterotoxin B-IgE (SEB-IgE) levels. These results suggest a role of SEs IgE antibodies in the pathogenesis of CSU, in keeping with the current hypothesis of autoallergy being important in some patients.

CSU patients are known to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and it is a sensitive inflammatory biomarker for the diagnosis and disease activity of CSU. In a retrospective study of 1253 CSU patients, higher levels of CRP were associated with autologous serum skin test positivity, arterial hypertension, urticaria activity, quality of life impairment, inflammatory and coagulation markers, and poor response to antihistamines [35].

A systematic review assessed the relationship between vitamin D and CSU [36]. Fourteen studies (1321 CSU cases and 6100 controls) were considered. Twelve studies showed statistically significant lower serum vitamin D levels in CSU patients than in the controls. Vitamin D deficiency was reported more commonly for CSU patients (34.3–89.7%) than for controls (0.0–68.9%) in 6 studies. Seven showed disease improvement after high-dosages of vitamin D supplementation. Well-designed randomized placebo-controlled studies are needed to determine the cut-off levels of vitamin D for supplementation and treatment outcomes.

Epidemiologic studies

A physician-based online survey conducted in 5 European countries (United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain) assessed the annual diagnosed prevalence, disease characteristics, and treatment of CU (chronic inducible and spontaneous urticaria) and CSU in children [37]. Across the 5 European countries, the one-year diagnosed prevalence of CU and CSU in paediatric patients was 1.38% and 0.75%. This study showed a prevalence of CSU in children comparable to adults. Angioedema was reported in 6–14% of patients. A large proportion of CSU paediatric patients (40–60%) were treated with H1-antihistamines at approved doses and 16–51% received H1-antihistamines at higher doses. Approximately 1/3 of paediatric CSU patients remained uncontrolled with H1-antihistamines at approved/higher doses.

A systematic review was carried out in children under 12 years of age with CSU to assess interventions and comorbidities [38]. The systematic review included 9 reports (633 children). Five comorbidities and laboratory anomalies were found to be associated with CSU: atopy (28.1%), positive autologous serum skin test (36.8%), thyroid anomalies (6.4%) and detectable antinuclear antigen (10.4%), seroprevalence for Helicobacter pylori (21.1%), low vitamin D level (69.1%), and psychiatric disorders (70.4%). Only one study allowed for comparison with a control group.

The ASSURE-CSU (ASsessment of the Economic and Humanistic Burden of Chronic Spontaneous/Idiopathic URticaria PatiEnts) study analyzed the socio-economic burden of CSU. A recent post hoc analysis of the ASSURE-CSU study evaluated 673 patients with inadequately controlled CSU and revealed significant differences between patient- and physician-reported angioedema [39]. These were classified—according to the availability of medical records and patient-reported diagnosis—as : Yes-angioedema (concordant) (40.3%), No-angioedema (concordant) (26.9%) and Misaligned (32.8%). The frequency of angioedema in CSU patients is under-recognized by physicians, even though it has significant impact on quality-of-life, work productivity and health care resource utilization. The international EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF/WAO methods report for the guidelines and recommendations for the management and diagnosis of angioedema has been recently revised [40].

OPuS-2 is a Phase 3 clinical study that investigated the efficacy and safety of avoralstat, a kallikrein inhibitor, on hereditary angioedema (HAE) caused by mutations in the SERP-ING1 gene that leads to a deficiency of the kallikrein inhibitor, C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) [41]. Unlike in the previous Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies, the treatment efficacy with 500 mg avoralstat, 3 times daily for 12 weeks, could not be demonstrated. However, these patients experienced shortened angioedema episodes and improved QoL as assessed using the Angioedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (AE-QoL). In a separate study, the natural course of an oedematous attack in a patient with hereditary angioedema due to C1-INH deficiency was monitored for 96 h. The concentration of the C4a activation product significantly increased during the prodromal period suggesting that C4a could potentially be used as a prognostic biomarker of an edematous attack [42]. A novel type of HAE with normal C1-INH levels has been identified as having a mutation in the plasminogen gene and is manifested as swelling of the face/lips and tongue [43].

Diagnosis and severity scores

The EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF/WAO guidelines for the definition, classification, diagnosis and management of urticaria have been recently revised and updated [44,45,46].

CSU disease activity is commonly measured using the urticaria activity scores UAS7 and UAS7TD. The main differences between the two is that in UAS7, symptoms are recorded daily whilst in UAS7TD, symptoms are recorded twice a day, and that they use different wheal scoring systems. The two different versions showed similar results when assessing the severity of 130 CSU patients, suggesting the preferential use of the simpler UAS7 scoring system [47].

Multimorbidities

There are limited reports on the association between CU and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The logistic regression analysis of 2000–2011 claims data from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database of 2105 children suffering from SLE. It is indicated that there is an increased risk of developing acute urticaria and CU, particularly in female patients [48]. A comprehensive literature review indicated that chronic hepatitis B and C are not associated with CSU and so routine screening for these viral infections in CSU patients is not necessary [49].

Treatment

Bilastine is a H1-antihistamine prescribed for the treatment of CSU at a standard daily dose of 20 mg. Some patients may benefit from updosing to 40 mg and up to 80 mg for the most severe cases [50]. The X-ACT study is a clinical phase III to examine the effectiveness of omalizumab for the treatment of CSU patients with angioedema refractory to high doses of H1-antihistamines. The reduction in angioedema symptoms when CSU patients were treated with 300 mg omalizumab significantly improved the QoL and psychological well-being as assessed by the Angioedema Quality of Life and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaires [51].

Findings from the Icatibant Outcome Survey, a cohort observational study, showed that the effectiveness of Icatibant for the treatment of hereditary angioedema attacks is not affected by body weight [52].

Two case reports of omalizumab being effective in normo-complementaemic urticarial vasculitis (UV) reopens discussion about the pathogenesis of UV and its relationship with CSU [53]. CSU patients have elevated levels of IgE to tissue factor and thyroglobulin which are reduced in patients treated with CSU [54]. The IgE levels can be used as a prognostic marker for the therapeutic response of omalizumab. The IgE levels in CSU patients treated with omalizumab at baseline [55] and after 4 weeks of treatment [56] were significantly lower in non-responders compared to partial and complete responders.

Even though the administration of 300 mg omalizumab may be successful in the treatment of CSU patients who do not respond to antihistamines, it does not cure the disease and patients often relapse after the regimen is completed. The high cost of the drug has prompted The Italian Medical Agency to prohibit the administration of omalizumab beyond 1 year of treatment and so there is an urgent need for alternative therapies after 1 year. A study of 14 patients with complete response to omalizumab after 6 months (300 mg/month) demonstrated that half of the patients could be switched to a regimen of 150 mg/month for an additional 4 months as an add-on treatment to second-generation antihistamines [57].

Serum sickness-like reaction was observed in a child using omalizumab for CSU [58], having previously been reported only in an adult. This is included as a warning in the summary of product characteristics.

Conclusion

Many important papers have been published in EAACI journals this year.

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable.

Change history

  • 15 September 2020

    An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Abbreviations

AD:

atopic dermatitis

CSU:

chronic spontaneous urticaria

CU:

chronic urticaria

References

  1. Bousquet J, Grattan C, Bieber T, Matricardi P, Simon HU, Wahn U, et al. Prediction and prevention of allergy and asthma in EAACI journals (2016). Clin Transl Allergy. 2017;7:46.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wahn U, Matricardi PM, Bieber T, Bousquet J, Grattan C, Simon HU, et al. Food allergy in EAACI journals (2016). Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2017;28(8):825–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bousquet J, Akdis CA, Grattan C, Eigenmann PA, Hoffmann-Sommergruber K, Hellings PW, et al. Highlights and recent developments in airway diseases in EAACI journals (2017). Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:49.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Furue M, Yamamura K, Kido-Nakahara M, Nakahara T, Fukui Y. Emerging role of interleukin-31 and interleukin-31 receptor in pruritus in atopic dermatitis. Allergy. 2018;73(1):29–36.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Iwamoto K, Numm TJ, Koch S, Herrmann N, Leib N, Bieber T. Langerhans and inflammatory dendritic epidermal cells in atopic dermatitis are tolerized toward TLR2 activation. Allergy. 2018;73(11):2205–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Mitamura Y, Nunomura S, Nanri Y, Ogawa M, Yoshihara T, Masuoka M, et al. The IL-13/periostin/IL-24 pathway causes epidermal barrier dysfunction in allergic skin inflammation. Allergy. 2018;73(9):1881–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Nakahara T, Kido-Nakahara M, Ohno F, Ulzii D, Chiba T, Tsuji G, et al. The pruritogenic mediator endothelin-1 shifts the dendritic cell-T-cell response toward Th17/Th1 polarization. Allergy. 2018;73(2):511–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Wedman PA, Aladhami A, Chumanevich AP, Fuseler JW, Oskeritzian CA. Mast cells and sphingosine-1-phosphate underlie prelesional remodeling in a mouse model of eczema. Allergy. 2018;73(2):405–15.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Matsuo Y, Yanase Y, Irifuku R, Takahagi S, Mihara S, Ishii K, et al. Neuromedin U directly induces degranulation of skin mast cells, presumably via MRGPRX2. Allergy. 2018;73(11):2256–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Noh SR, Kim JS, Kim EH, Jeon BH, Kim JH, Kim YM, et al. Spectrum of susceptibility to air quality and weather in individual children with atopic dermatitis. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2019;30(2):179–87.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Sargsyan A, Gupta J, Ghosh D. Association of severe atopic dermatitis with month of birth in armenian pediatric patients. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(6):655–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Barbarot S, Auziere S, Gadkari A, Girolomoni G, Puig L, Simpson EL, et al. Epidemiology of atopic dermatitis in adults: results from an international survey. Allergy. 2018;73(6):1284–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lødrup Carlsen KC, Rehbinder EM, Skjerven HO, Carlsen MH, Fatnes TA, Fugelli P, et al. Preventing atopic dermatitis and ALLergies in children—the PreventADALL study. Allergy. 2018;73(10):2063–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Gerlich J, Benecke N, Peters-Weist AS, Heinrich S, Roller D, Genuneit J, et al. Pregnancy and perinatal conditions and atopic disease prevalence in childhood and adulthood. Allergy. 2018;73(5):1064–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Abuabara K, Yu AM, Okhovat JP, Allen IE, Langan SM. The prevalence of atopic dermatitis beyond childhood: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Allergy. 2018;73(3):696–704.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Thyssen JP, Andersen YMF, Zhang H, Gislason G, Skov L, Egeberg A. Incidence of pediatric atopic dermatitis following thymectomy: a Danish register study. Allergy. 2018;73(8):1741–3.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lee JY, Kim M, Yang HK, Kim HM, Cho J, Kim YM, et al. Reliability and validity of the Atopic Dermatitis Symptom Score (ADSS). Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(3):290–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Vakharia PP, Chopra R, Sacotte R, Patel N, Immaneni S, White T, et al. Validation of patient-reported global severity of atopic dermatitis in adults. Allergy. 2018;73(2):451–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Andersen YMF, Egeberg A, Hamann CR, Skov L, Gislason GH, Skaaby T, et al. Poor agreement in questionnaire-based diagnostic criteria for adult atopic dermatitis is a challenge when examining cardiovascular comorbidity. Allergy. 2018;73(4):923–31.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Hu JM, Lin CS, Chen SJ, Chen CY, Lin CL, Kao CH. Association between obstructive sleep apnea and atopic dermatitis in children: a nationwide, population-based cohort study. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(3):260–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Thyssen JP, Hamann CR, Linneberg A, Dantoft TM, Skov L, Gislason GH, et al. Atopic dermatitis is associated with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation, but not with psychiatric hospitalization or suicide. Allergy. 2018;73(1):214–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Schmitt J, Buske-Kirschbaum A, Tesch F, Trikojat K, Stephan V, Abraham S, et al. Increased attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms in atopic dermatitis are associated with history of antihistamine use. Allergy. 2018;73(3):615–26.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Thostesen LM, Kjaergaard J, Pihl GT, Birk NM, Nissen TN, Aaby P, et al. Neonatal BCG vaccination and atopic dermatitis before 13 months of age: a randomized clinical trial. Allergy. 2018;73(2):498–504.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Baek JO, Lee JR, Roh JY, Jung Y. Oral tolerance modulates the skin transcriptome in mice with induced atopic dermatitis. Allergy. 2018;73(4):962–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Taghavi Ardakani A, Farrehi M, Sharif MR, Ostadmohammadi V, Mirhosseini N, Kheirkhah D, et al. The effects of melatonin administration on disease severity and sleep quality in children with atopic dermatitis: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(8):834–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Shin JU, Kim SH, Noh JY, Kim JH, Kim HR, Jeong KY, et al. Allergen-specific immunotherapy induces regulatory T cells in an atopic dermatitis mouse model. Allergy. 2018;73(9):1801–11.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Sah SK, Agrahari G, Nguyen CT, Kim Y-S, Kang K-S, Kim T-Y. Enhanced therapeutic effects of human mesenchymal stem cells transduced with superoxide dismutase 3 in a murine atopic dermatitis-like skin inflammation model. Allergy. 2018;73(12):2364–76.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Yu J, Liu X, Li Y, Meng S, Wu F, Yan B, et al. Maternal exposure to farming environment protects offspring against allergic diseases by modulating the neonatal TLR-Tregs-Th axis. Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:34.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Gedon NKY, Mueller RS. Atopic dermatitis in cats and dogs: a difficult disease for animals and owners. Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:41.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Napolitano M, Gallo R, Donnarumma M, Patruno C. Salt-dependent aquagenic urticaria in children: report of two cases. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(3):324–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Napolitano M, Patruno C. Chronic urticaria can be caused by cancer and resolves with its cure. Allergy. 2018;73(8):1750–1.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Larenas-Linnemann D, Saini SS, Azamar-Jácome AA, Jensen-Jarolim E, Maurer M. Very rarely chronic urticaria can be caused by cancer and if so, resolves with its cure. Allergy. 2018;73(9):1925–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Yon DK, Cho YS, Ha EK, Jee HM, Song JY, Jung YH, et al. Exposure to phthalates is associated with acute urticaria in children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(6):657–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Altrichter S, Hawro T, Liedtke M, Holtappels G, Bachert C, Skov PS, et al. In chronic spontaneous urticaria, IgE against staphylococcal enterotoxins is common and functional. Allergy. 2018;73(7):1497–504.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Kolkhir P, Altrichter S, Hawro T, Maurer M. C-reactive protein is linked to disease activity, impact, and response to treatment in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria. Allergy. 2018;73(4):940–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Tuchinda P, Kulthanan K, Chularojanamontri L, Arunkajohnsak S, Sriussadaporn S. Relationship between vitamin D and chronic spontaneous urticaria: a systematic review. Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:51.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Balp MM, Weller K, Carboni V, Chirilov A, Papavassilis C, Severin T, et al. Prevalence and clinical characteristics of chronic spontaneous urticaria in pediatric patients. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(6):630–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Cornillier H, Giraudeau B, Munck S, Hacard F, Jonville-Bera AP, d’Acremont G, et al. Chronic spontaneous urticaria in children—a systematic review on interventions and comorbidities. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(3):303–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Sussman G, Abuzakouk M, Berard F, Canonica W, Oude Elberink H, Gimenez-Arnau A, et al. Angioedema in chronic spontaneous urticaria is under diagnosed and has a substantial impact: analyses from ASSURE-CSU. Allergy. 2018;73(8):1724–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Maurer M, Magerl M, Ansotegui I, Aygören-Pürsün E, Betschel S, Bork K, et al. The international WAO/EAACI guideline for the management of hereditary angioedema—the 2017 revision and update. Allergy. 2018;73(8):1575–96.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Riedl MA, Aygören-Pürsün E, Baker J, Farkas H, Anderson J, Bernstein JA, et al. Evaluation of avoralstat, an oral kallikrein inhibitor, in a Phase 3 hereditary angioedema prophylaxis trial: the OPuS-2 study. Allergy. 2018;73(9):1871–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Veszeli N, Kohalmi KV, Kajdacsi E, Gulyas D, Temesszentandrasi G, Cervenak L, et al. Complete kinetic follow-up of symptoms and complement parameters during a hereditary angioedema attack. Allergy. 2018;73(2):516–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Bork K, Wulff K, Steinmüller-Magin L, Brænne I, Staubach-Renz P, Witzke G, et al. Hereditary angioedema with a mutation in the plasminogen gene. Allergy. 2018;73(2):442–50.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Dressler C, Rosumeck S, Werner RN, Magerl M, Metz M, Maurer M, et al. Executive summary of the methods report for ‘The EAACI/GA(2) LEN/EDF/WAO Guideline for the Definition, Classification, Diagnosis and Management of Urticaria. The 2017 Revision and Update’. Allergy. 2018;73(5):1145–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Zuberbier T, Aberer W, Asero R, Abdul Latiff AH, Baker D, Ballmer-Weber B, et al. The EAACI/GA(2)LEN/EDF/WAO guideline for the definition, classification, diagnosis and management of urticaria. Allergy. 2018;73(7):1393–414.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Zuberbier T, Bernstein JA. A comparison of the United States and International Perspective on Chronic Urticaria Guidelines. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2018;6(4):1144–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Hawro T, Ohanyan T, Schoepke N, Metz M, Peveling-Oberhag A, Staubach P, et al. Comparison and interpretability of the available urticaria activity scores. Allergy. 2018;73(1):251–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Lin CH, Hung PH, Hu HY, Chung CJ, Chen TH, Hung KY. Clinically diagnosed urticaria and risk of systemic lupus erythematosus in children: a nationwide population-based case-control study. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(7):732–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Kolkhir P, Pereverzina N, Olisova O, Maurer M. Comorbidity of viral hepatitis and chronic spontaneous urticaria: a systematic review. Allergy. 2018;73(10):1946–53.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Weller K, Church MK, Hawro T, Altrichter S, Labeaga L, Magerl M, et al. Updosing of bilastine is effective in moderate to severe chronic spontaneous urticaria: a real-life study. Allergy. 2018;73(10):2073–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Staubach P, Metz M, Chapman-Rothe N, Sieder C, Brautigam M, Maurer M, et al. Omalizumab rapidly improves angioedema-related quality of life in adult patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria: X-ACT study data. Allergy. 2018;73(3):576–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Caballero T, Zanichelli A, Aberer W, Maurer M, Longhurst HJ, Bouillet L, et al. Effectiveness of icatibant for treatment of hereditary angioedema attacks is not affected by body weight: findings from the Icatibant Outcome Survey, a cohort observational study. Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:11.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. de Brito M, Huebner G, Murrell D, Bullpitt P, Hartmann K. Normocomplementaemic urticarial vasculitis: effective treatment with omalizumab. Clin Transl Allergy. 2018;8:37.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Cugno M, Asero R, Ferrucci S, Lorini M, Carbonelli V, Tedeschi A, et al. Elevated IgE to tissue factor and thyroglobulin are abated by omalizumab in chronic spontaneous urticaria. Allergy. 2018;73(12):2408–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Weller K, Ohanyan T, Hawro T, Ellrich A, Sussman G, Koplowitz J, et al. Total IgE levels are linked to the response of chronic spontaneous urticaria patients to omalizumab. Allergy. 2018;73(12):2406–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Ertas R, Ozyurt K, Atasoy M, Hawro T, Maurer M. The clinical response to omalizumab in chronic spontaneous urticaria patients is linked to and predicted by IgE levels and their change. Allergy. 2018;73(3):705–12.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Asero R. Efficacy of omalizumab 150 mg/month as a maintenance dose in patients with severe chronic spontaneous urticaria showing a prompt and complete response to the drug. Allergy. 2018;73(11):2242–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Eapen A, Kloepfer KM. Serum sickness-like reaction in a pediatric patient using omalizumab for chronic spontaneous urticaria. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(4):449–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

None.

Funding

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

All authors have contributed to the design of the project and have written the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Bousquet.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

All authors gave their agreement for the publication of the paper.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Akdis, C.A., Bousquet, J., Grattan, C.E. et al. Highlights and recent developments in skin allergy and related diseases in EAACI journals (2018). Clin Transl Allergy 9, 60 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13601-019-0299-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13601-019-0299-y

Keywords