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When pollen circulates more in the air and is blown by the wind, infection rates with Sars-CoV-2 virus, the cause of Covid-19, would also tend to rise. This is the curious conclusion of an international research published in the journal of the American National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), coordinated by the German scientists of the TUM (Technical University) of Munich and the Helmholtz Zentrum of the Bavarian capital.
This information is enough to understand how important it is, in this period of sneezing, red eyes, dermatitis and the like, to wear masks that best filter what we breathe. The advice is valid for everyone but especially for children to whom the congress of the Italian Society of Pediatric Allergology and Immunology (SIAIP) will be dedicated.
The many faces of allergy
Allergy is a very widespread phenomenon among children and care must be taken not to consider respiratory symptoms, especially in the presence of an allergen, always and in any case as an alarm signal for Covid-19. The latest studies, considering the many manifestations that can characterize the allergy, however, say that, in the face of a great diffusion of the disease, in children it is above all the skin to be affected.
“In children under the age of 14 we now reach percentages ranging from 30 to 40% – recalls Gianluigi Marseglia, Director of the Pediatric Clinic of the University of Pavia and President of SIAIP. This means that we are faced with a large number of diseases as allergic pathologies have a very varied clinical expression. For example, in the child symptoms mainly affect the skin: the first manifestation of an altered response of the immune system towards foreign substances is in fact atopic dermatitis, a disease that is particularly expressed in the first years of life. Over the years, other manifestations become more evident, especially affecting the respiratory system, such as allergic rhinitis and asthma ”.
The important thing, in any case, is to remember that allergy is not a phenomenon to be underestimated, since it can be maintained throughout life with different clinical manifestations, even if it is not possible to predict its clinical expressiveness, that is the severity of the symptoms. symptoms that the pathology can determine. What is worrying, however, is the constant increase in cases.
“We have to consider several factors: the first is represented by the genetic predisposition which, however, by definition, is modulated by the environment. In other words – continues Marseglia – if a genetically predisposed individual lives in an environment in which contact with foreign substances potentially capable of inducing allergy is scarce, the risk of these substances affecting genetics is very low. If, on the other hand, the contact with substances that favor the development of allergies is high, the risk increases ”.
“When we talk about these foreign substances we are not referring exclusively to allergens, but also to situations that indirectly modulate genetic predisposition, such as environmental pollution. The relationship between genetics and the environment is very important and explains why the epidemic of allergic diseases does not have the same impact in various parts of the world. Thus, if in Western countries we travel towards 50% of allergy sufferers under the age of 14, in other areas, for example in Africa, the percentages are much lower ”.
Treatment? Tailored
If for lighter and occasional symptoms, in agreement with the pediatrician, you can also think about targeted treatments for the disorder, in the most serious forms it is necessary to find targeted answers on a case-by-case basis.
“Thanks to basic research we are trying to understand how the environment manages to modulate genetics – concludes the expert. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying allergic manifestations is enabling the development of intelligent drugs that precisely target the mechanism that triggers the allergic reaction. This is an intervention that is part of precision medicine: today, for example, we have intelligent monoclonal antibodies with which we are able to treat very serious allergic diseases, such as severe forms of asthma or atopic dermatitis, even in children. A second line of research aims to identify the factors that can allow us to identify early subjects at potential risk of developing severe forms, in which we can establish environmental, food or pharmacological prevention to prevent these individuals from encountering more severe persistent forms. “.
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