Paediatrics (RCH) - Research Publications

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    The Impact of Family History of Allergy on Risk of Food Allergy: A Population-Based Study of Infants
    Koplin, JJ ; Allen, KJ ; Gurrin, LC ; Peters, RL ; Lowe, AJ ; Tang, MLK ; Dharmage, SC (MDPI AG, 2013-11)
    The apparent rapid increase in IgE-mediated food allergy and its implications are now widely recognized, but little is known about the relationship between family history (an indirect measure of genetic risk) and the risk of food allergy. In a population-based study of 5,276 one year old infants (HealthNuts), the prevalence of oral food challenge-confirmed food allergy was measured. Associations between family history of allergic disease and food allergy in infants were examined using multiple logistic regression. Food allergy was diagnosed in 534 infants. Compared to those with no family history of allergic disease, children meeting the current definition of "high risk" for allergic disease (one immediate family member with a history of any allergic disease) showed only a modest increase (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.7) in food allergy, while having two or more allergic family members was more strongly predictive of food allergy in the child (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5-2.3). There were also differences in the associations between family history and egg and peanut allergy in the child. Re-defining "high risk" as two or more allergic family members may be more useful for identification of groups with a significantly increased risk of food allergy both clinically and within research studies.
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    Population Response To Change In Infant Feeding Guidelines For Allergy Prevention
    Tey, D ; Allen, KJ ; Peters, R ; Koplin, J ; Tang, MLK ; Gurrin, L ; Ponsonby, A-L ; Lowe, A ; Wake, M ; Dharmage, S (MOSBY-ELSEVIER, 2014-02)
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    The prevalence and socio-demographic risk factors of clinical eczema in infancy: a population-based observational study
    Martin, PE ; Koplin, JJ ; Eckert, JK ; Lowe, AJ ; Ponsonby, A-L ; Osborne, NJ ; Gurrin, LC ; Robinson, MN ; Hill, DJ ; Tang, MLK ; Dharmage, SC ; Allen, KJ (WILEY, 2013-06)
    BACKGROUND: Socio-demographic predictors for the development of clinically observed, infantile eczema have not been formally examined in a large population-based study. Few studies of eczema risk factors have included current, objective eczema outcomes as well as parent-reported history. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to measure the population prevalence of infantile eczema using novel sampling methodology, and identify socio-demographic risk factors for eczema in the first year of life. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study of infantile allergy (the HealthNuts study, n = 4972, response rate 74.1%) was conducted from 2008-2011 in Melbourne, Australia. Infants were examined for current eczema at age 12 months (mean 12.7, SD 0.7). Parents provided information about the infants' history of eczema and demographic factors. Factors associated with eczema were modelled using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: The population prevalence of observed eczema at 12 months was 20.3% (95% CI 19.0, 21.5), while cumulative prevalence for parent-reported eczema was 28.0% (95% CI 26.7, 29.4). The strongest predictors of eczema were maternal eczema and asthma (multinomial (M)-OR 1.7, P < 0.001, and M-OR 1.4, P = 0.007), male sex (M-OR 1.4, P < 0.001), and East Asian ethnicity (M-OR 1.6, P < 0.001) with over 80% of infants with all risk factors exhibiting eczema. East Asian parents, particularly recent migrants, reported fewer allergies than other parents. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Approximately, one in three infants developed eczema by 12 months of age. East Asian infants are at increased risk of eczema despite their parents having lower rates of allergy than non-Asian parents. Gene-environment interactions may explain the differential effect seen in this minority group.
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    Filaggrin loss-of-function mutations do not predict food allergy over and above the risk of food sensitization among infants
    Tan, H-TT ; Ellis, JA ; Koplin, JJ ; Matheson, MC ; Gurrin, LC ; Lowe, AJ ; Martin, PE ; Dang, TD ; Wake, M ; Tang, MLK ; Ponsonby, A-L ; Dharmage, SC ; Allen, KJ (MOSBY-ELSEVIER, 2012-11)