Sensitization to food and inhalant allergens in relation to age and wheeze among children with atopic dermatitis

Summary Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is common in children; however, persistence of AD with or without asthma is less common. Longitudinal studies remain limited in their ability to characterize how IgE antibody responses evolve in AD, and their relationship with asthma. Objective To use a cross‐sectional study design of children with active AD to analyse age‐related differences in IgE antibodies and relation to wheeze. Methods IgE antibodies to food and inhalant allergens were measured in children with active AD (5 months to 15 years of age, n = 66), with and without history of wheeze. Results Whereas IgE antibodies to foods persisted at a similar prevalence and titre throughout childhood, IgE antibodies to all aeroallergens rose sharply into adolescence. From birth, the chance of sensitization for any aeroallergen increased for each 12‐month increment in age (OR ≥ 1.21, P