The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) phase II was designed to allow comparisons between populations in different countries and to investigate possible etiologic factors. This study was conducted to better delineate the prevalence and etiologic factors of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema in Izmir (Turkey) and to be included in the international comparisons by using a standard methodology of ISAAC phase II. The questionnaire was distributed to 2112 students in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades of 12 selected primary schools in urban and rural boroughs of Izmir. One thousand two hundred seventeen of these questionnaires were evaluated and physical examinations and skin-prick tests were performed on 1098 of these children. The prevalence values were 15.9% for recent wheezing and 4.8% for physician-diagnosed asthma. The prevalence of sneezing or runny or blocked nose in the past 12 months when the child did not have a cold or flu was 30%. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed allergic rhinitis was 17%. The prevalence of an itchy rash that was coming and going for at least 6 months was 7.2% and the prevalence of physician-diagnosed eczema was 4.9%. Atopic sensitization prevalence in the population was 8.8% with house-dust mite sensitization being the most frequent one. Secretion rales and sibilant wheezing rhoncus were detected in 2.7% of children by chest auscultation. In 1.1% of children flexural dermatitis was detected. Objective tests are necessary for epidemiologic studies of the aforementioned diseases.

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Late HDN results in severe hemorrhage, especially hemorrhage in the central nervous system. Administration of vitamin K (1 mg, i.m.) at the birth can reduce these severe complications.

Sensitization to aeroallergens of Aegean region is not well decumented. In this study we evaluated the epidermal skin prick test results of the patients who applied to allergy outpatient department retrospectively. Epidermal skin prick test of the 5055 patients were evaluated. Of these patients 2638 (52 %) were female, 2417 (48 %) male, 1213 (24 %) adult and 3842 (76 %) pediatric patient, 1163 (23 %) patients were allergic rhinitis, 2477 (49 %) were bronchial asthma, 505 (10 %) were allergic rhinitis with bronchial asthma, 556 (11 %) were chronic urticaria, 253 (5 %) were wheezy infant and 101 (2 %) patients were atopic dermatitis, 2932 (58 %) had atopy history in their first and second degree relatives. Patients were aged between 3.5 months and 79 years (mean 14.1 3.2 years and median 11 years). In epidermal skin prick tests sensitization to house dust mites (D. farinae, D. pteroniyssinus), pollens (grass, cereals and trees), moulds, animal danders, foods (especially in early childhood) and cockroach were evaluated. Our data indicate that allergens that may be the cause of the high prevalence of allergic diseases in Izmir are probably produced by pollens and mites.

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Adding baked food into the diets of patients with cow’s milk allergy (MA) and hen’s egg allergy (EA) has several benefits. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> We aimed to determine baked and unbaked food tolerance and evaluate the effectiveness of laboratory findings on the prediction of baked and unbaked food tolerance in patients with MA and EA. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Clinical outcomes of the patients with MA and EA who had been exposed to oral food challenge with baked food were retrospectively analyzed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Ninety-one patients were evaluated. The median age of the study group was 22 months. Forty-nine and 42 patients had IgE-mediated MA and EA, respectively. While all patients with EA tolerated baked egg, 24.5% patients with MA could not tolerate baked cow’s milk (BM). In patients with MA, BM tolerance showed negative association with milk-specific IgE, skin prick test (SPT), and prick-to-prick test (PTP), and the PTP was the most significant parameter (sensitivity 83.8%, specificity 91.7% for PTP ≤7 mm). Negative association was seen between milk-specific IgE, SPT, PTP, and unbaked milk (UBM) tolerance, and PTP was the most significant parameter (sensitivity 100%, specificity 55% for PTP ≤4 mm). In patients with EA, at the end of 6 months of baked hen’s egg (BE) consumption, scrambled egg tolerance showed negative association with egg white-specific IgE level, egg white SPT and PTP. Egg white PTP was the most significant parameter (sensitivity 82.4%, specificity 96.0% for PTP ≤5 mm). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Specific-IgE, SPT, and PTP should be kept in mind as parameters that can be used to predict tolerance to BM and BE for patients with MA and EA.