Background: Childhood asthma is mainly developed by an interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Atopic asthma has been regarded as the most common form of asthma in the pediatric age group. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the role of atopy in inducing uncontrolled asthma in children. Materials and Methods: Seventy-five children between 1 to 14 years of age, referred to The Asthma and allergy clinics of Azad University hospitals for a period of one year because of wheezing and or chronic cough with a diagnosis of asthma were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. After scrutinizing the children’s medical history relevant to their asthmatic manifestations, they were evaluated with a skin prick test (SPT) for common aero and food allergens. Results: Thirty-five asthmatic children had positive SPTs with their mean age higher than those with negative skin test results (P≤0.0001). In those with positive SPTs, the symptoms recurred if the medications were discontinued within a month of symptom improvement (P=0.001). The same results were true considering the history of previous atopic disorders in response to the discontinuation of therapy (P<0.0001). Conclusion: To conclude, in most patients with negative skin tests, symptoms of asthma improved in less than a month from the initiation of appropriate therapies. However, in those with positive SPTs and a history of atopy, the symptoms recurred if the medications were discontinued within less than a month of symptom improvement (P=0.001 and P<0.0001, respectively).

Background: There are three broad types of food allergies, including IgE-mediated reactions, non-IgE-mediated reactions, and mixed reactions. The onset of IgE-mediated food allergies is usually rapid and can sometimes lead to serious illness. Non-IgE-mediated and mixed types of food allergies can cause significant morbidity as a result of chronic disease. Objectives: This study aimed to compare various types of food allergies and discuss the basis of their different presentations. Methods: This study was conducted on children aged 2 - 12 years old with signs or symptoms of food allergy in the allergy clinics of Azad University Hospitals, Tehran, Iran, from January 2019 to January 2020. Food allergy was evaluated in these patients by careful history, physical exam, skin prick test, and atopy patch test. Results: A positive family history of atopy was detected in the first-degree relatives of 82 (63%) patients. All the children were exclusively breastfed at the beginning. A total of 61 patients had positive skin prick test (SPT), and 68 patients had positive atopy patch test (APT) results. Among food allergens, a significant correlation was detected between positive atopic patch test results and hypersensitivity reactions to cow’s milk (P value = 0.001), beef (0.002), and tomato (0.04). There was the same significant correlation between positive skin prick test results, allergens, and wheat (P value = 0.01). Conclusions: Although skin prick and atopy patch tests may help identify the culprit foods, oral food challenges are the mainstay of the diagnosis.