Allergic Sensitization and Comorbidity in Pediatric Populations
Summary
Allergic sensitization in children arises when the immune system mounts an immunoglobulin E (IgE) response to otherwise harmless environmental proteins. This process often unfolds in early childhood and may follow diverse trajectories, from single‐allergen reactivity to polysensitization involving multiple, distinct allergens. Clinically, sensitization may herald the development of asthma, allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, and these conditions frequently co-occur. The traditional “atopic march” model, which posits a sequential progression from eczema to asthma and then rhinitis, has been refined by longitudinal and machine-learning studies showing that only a minority of children follow this exact sequence. Instead, heterogenous phenotypes emerge, with some children exhibiting persistent multimorbidity and others showing isolated or transient symptoms. Underlying mechanisms include epithelial barrier dysfunction, skewing towards type 2 helper T-cell immunity and gene–environment interactions involving microbiota, nutrition and prenatal exposures. Advances in molecular diagnostics now permit component-resolved profiling of IgE responses, enabling more precise disease stratification and risk prediction. Globally, rising prevalence of paediatric allergy places pressure on health systems and highlights the need for early identification of high-risk individuals. Practical applications include targeted prevention strategies in infancy, personalised immunotherapy regimens and digital health tools for home monitoring of symptom patterns and environmental triggers.
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Allergic Sensitization and Comorbidity in Pediatric Populations publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in allergic sensitization and comorbidity in pediatric populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Immunoglobulin E (IgE): An antibody isotype that binds allergens and triggers mast cell and basophil activation, driving allergic inflammation.
Polysensitization: Concurrent sensitization to two or more allergenic proteins, often associated with more severe or persistent disease.
Multimorbidity: The co-existence of two or more allergic diseases (for example, asthma and allergic rhinitis) in the same individual.
Atopic march: A conceptual framework describing the typical progression of allergic manifestations from eczema in infancy to respiratory allergies in later childhood.
Component-resolved diagnostics (CRD): A molecular approach that quantifies IgE responses to individual allergenic proteins rather than whole extracts, enhancing precision in diagnosis and prognosis.
Epithelial barrier hypothesis: A theory proposing that defects in skin and mucosal barrier integrity promote allergen penetration and immune sensitization.
References
- Rhinitis associated with asthma is distinct from rhinitis alone: The ARIA‐MeDALL hypothesis. Allergy (2023).
- Prenatal Factors in the Development of Allergic Diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
- Component‐specific clusters for diagnosis and prediction of allergic airway diseases. Clinical & Experimental Allergy (2024).
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