HEALTH
A study has produced the first atlas of allergies in Europe
Allergies are really annoying and affect most of the world's population. Whether they are seasonal (to pollen, grasses) or congenital (to dust, peanuts, insect bites) one has to live with them anyway, taking doses of antihistamines as needed.
A Study made by the University of Vienna has now created a true European map of sensitisation to certain types of allergies, the first ever using a new method of analysis and new tests. The results show differences in sensitisation even based by where one lives and on the diet.
These results may also be useful for prevention and strategies to combat these annoyances.
A study has produced the first atlas of allergies in Europe
Allergies are really annoying and affect most of the world's population. Whether they are seasonal (to pollen, grasses) or congenital (to dust, peanuts, insect bites) one has to live with them anyway, taking doses of antihistamines as needed. A study made by the University of Vienna has now created a true European map of sensitisation to certain types of allergies, the first ever using a new method of analysis and new tests. The results show differences in sensitisation even based by where one lives and on the diet. These results may also be useful for prevention and strategies to combat these annoyances.
Europe's first allergy atlas
For the first time in history, a true atlas of European allergies was produced. Molecular sensitisation patterns in more than 2,800 children from all parts of Europe (northern, southern, central) were studied, and regional, climatic, and dietary differences in reaction to allergens were investigated, showing clear differences that cannot be attributed to genetics alone.
The study
This study was conducted by the Medical University of Vienna, in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences of Krems. The results were published in the prestigious journal Allergy.
What's new in the study
The head of the study is Professor Rudolf Valenta of the Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research at the Medical University of Vienna. The study examined sensitisation patterns of immunoglobulin E (IgE), or antibodies whose presence in the blood indicates allergic sensitization, in 9 population-based cohorts from across Europe. These results were achieved due to some novelties in the method of analysis, which has never been done before, covering 176 allergen molecules.
Pollen and cats
The results, for example, showed that sensitivity to thegrass pollen allergen Phl p 1 and the major cat allergen Fel d 1 dominate in most areas of Europe are found indistinctly throughout Europe. This means that for this specific allergy, there does not appear to be external factors patterns that alter who suffers and who does not.
Peanut allergy
Different is the situation with regard to sensitization to peanut allergens, which are found not indistinctly but only in a small part in some specific areas, while extending the look, and considering fruit allergens (Pru p 3 e Act d 1 e 2) are more prevalent in southern and central Europe.
Dust mite allergy
Sensitization to dust allergens (Der p 1, 2 e 23) varies greatly from place to place. However, the atlas shows that the lowest concentration of people sensitive to this allergen is found in northern Europe, where climates are harsher.
Allergy to wasp venom
Allergy to wasp sting venom, like that of other insects, is a predominant molecule in large parts of Europe, such as western, northern, and central Europe. However, sensitivity has not been found so dominantly in southern Europe.
What this study entails
First of all, this new map makes it possible to track the development of IgE sensitisation from early childhood. In addition, the scholars attributed the variations in sensitization to different allergens, climatic conditions, and different living and eating habits in individual regions. Still speaking of children, one of the most important findings of the study was realizing that individuals raised in warm, dry environments are less likely to develop significant sensitivities to allergens than those raised in temperate environments.
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