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Parental hay fever and early exposure to D pteronyssinus allergens promote IgE polysensitization to several D pteronyssinus molecules, which in turn predicts current mite-related AR and current/future asthma. These results might inspire predictive algorithms and prevention strategies against the progression of IgE sensitization to mites toward AR and asthma.

BackgroundThe occurrence of allergic multimorbidity (coexistence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema) has not been evaluated longitudinally from early childhood up to adulthood in a population‐based study sample. We aimed to determine the prevalence of allergic multimorbidity up to age 20 stratified by parental allergies and sex/gender using extensive prospective follow‐up data from two decades of a birth cohort study.MethodsIn 1990, we recruited 1314 healthy newborns from 6 maternity wards across Germany for the population‐based MAS birth cohort study. The sample was purposely risk‐enriched by increasing the proportion of children at high allergy risk (i.e. at least 2 allergic family members among parents and siblings) from 19% in the source population to 38% in the final sample. The remaining 62% of all MAS children had a low or no allergy risk. Symptoms, medication and doctor's diagnoses of allergic diseases have been assessed using standardized questionnaires including validated ISAAC questions in 19 follow‐up assessments up to age 20. Allergic multimorbidity at each time point was defined as the coexistence of at least 2 of the following diseases in one participant: asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema.ResultsResponse at age 20 was 72% (n = 942) of all recruited participants. At age 20, 18.5% (95% CI, 15.0–22.5%) of all participants with allergic parents had 2 or 3 concurrent allergies as compared to only 6.3% (95% CI, 4.3–9.0%) of those with non‐allergic parents. At this age, allergic multimorbidity was similar in women and men (12.7% (95% CI, 9.7–16.2%) vs. 11.6% (95% CI, 8.9–14.8%)), whereas single allergic diseases were slightly more common in women than men (24.2% (95% CI, 20.2–28.5%) vs. 20.1% (95% CI, 16.6–24.0%)). Asthma occurred more frequently with coexisting allergic rhinitis and/or eczema than as a single entity from pre‐puberty to adulthood.ConclusionHaving parents with allergies is not only a strong predictor to develop any allergy, but it strongly increases the risk of developing allergic multimorbidity. In males and females alike, coexisting allergies were increasingly common throughout adolescence up to adulthood. Particularly asthma occurred in both sexes more frequently with coexisting allergies than as a single entity.

Objectives: To estimate long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollutants on an individual basis and to assess adverse health effects using a combination of air pollution measurement data, data from geographical information systems (GIS) and questionnaire data. Methods: 40 measurement sites in the city of Munich, Germany were selected at which to collect particulate matter with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 mm (PM 2.5 ) and to measure PM 2.5 absorbance and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ). A pool of GIS variables (information about street length, household and population density and land use) was collected for the Munich metropolitan area and was used in multiple linear regression models to predict traffic-related air pollutants. These models were also applied to the birth addresses of two birth cohorts (German Infant Nutritional Intervention Study (GINI) and Influence of Life-style factors on the development of the Immune System and Allergies in East and West Germany (LISA)) in the Munich metropolitan area. Associations between air pollution concentrations at birth address and 1-year and 2-year incidences of respiratory symptoms were analysed. Results: The following means for the estimated exposures to PM 2.5 , PM 2.5 absorbance and NO 2 were obtained: 12.8 mg/m 3 , 1.7610 25 m 21 and 35.3 mg/m 3 , respectively. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for wheezing, cough without infection, dry cough at night, bronchial asthma, bronchitis and respiratory infections indicated positive associations with traffic-related air pollutants. After controlling for individual confounders, significant associations were found between the pollutant PM 2.5 and sneezing, runny/stuffed nose during the first year of life (OR 1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.34) Similar effects were observed for the second year of life. These findings are similar to those from our previous analysis that were restricted to a subcohort in Munich city. The extended study also showed significant effects for sneezing, running/stuffed nose. Additionally, significant associations were found between NO 2 and dry cough at night (or bronchitis) during the first year of life. The variable ''living close to major roads'' (,50 m), which was not analysed for the previous inner city cohort with birth addresses in the city of Munich, turned out to increase the risk of wheezing and asthmatic/spastic/obstructive bronchitis. Conclusions: Effects on asthma and hay fever are subject to confirmation at older ages, when these outcomes can be more validly assessed.