National best practice guidelines for anaphylaxis prevention and management in Australian schools

Netting, Merryn J. et al. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global, Volume 4, Issue 2, 100413

Abstract

Background

Anaphylaxis prevention and management in the school setting is an important health and safety issue as the rates of food allergy in children continue to increase.

Objective

We describe the development and review of the Australian National Allergy Council best practice guidelines for anaphylaxis prevention and management in schools.

Methods

Developed in consultation with key stakeholders in health and education settings, the best practice guidelines incorporate 7 key recommendations for anaphylaxis prevention and management: an allergy aware approach; anaphylaxis management policy and plans; allergy documentation; emergency response; staff training; community and student education; and postincident management and incident reporting.

Reduction in Artemisia Pollen-Specific IgE Levels During House Dust Mite Allergen Immunotherapy in Polysensitized Allergic Rhinitis Patients: A Three-Year Retrospective Study in Northern, China

Sun X, Li X, Gao T, Liu P, Liu N, Jin P, Zhi L. J Asthma Allergy. 2025;18:665-673 https://doi.org/10.2147/JAA.S525620

Abstract

Background:  Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a well-established treatment for allergic diseases, particularly in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma. In regions where patients are polysensitized, AIT can have broader immunomodulatory effects. This study investigates the impact of house dust mite AIT on IgE responses to both dust mites and non-target allergens, specifically Artemisia pollen, in polysensitized allergic rhinitis patients.

Methods:  This retrospective study included polysensitized patients aged 18 or older with a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis or rhinitis with asthma and positive IgE for both house dust mites and Artemisia pollen. Patients who completed at least three years of AIT for house dust mites were included. IgE levels for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p), Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f), and Artemisia pollen were measured at baseline and after 1, 2, and 3 years of treatment.

Canadian Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Atopic Dermatitis with Topical Therapies

Gooderham, M.J., Hong, H.Ch., Lynde, C. et al.  Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-025-01386-2

Abstract

Introduction

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a highly prevalent disease in Canada with significant patient burden. Treatment guidance for topical therapy (the mainstay of AD management), with particular consideration of emerging treatments, may further improve patient care. Here, we aim to provide healthcare professionals with AD treatment recommendations from the perspective of 10 Canadian dermatologists with expertise in managing AD.

Methods

The panel of dermatologists conducted a systematic literature review and leveraged their clinical experience to develop generally accepted principles, consensus statements, and a treatment algorithm using an iterative consensus process.

Results

The panel collectively developed six generally accepted principles, 10 consensus statements, and a treatment algorithm. The guidance notes that assessment of disease severity should encompass both physician-rated measures and patient-reported outcomes. Disease education, lifestyle-based strategies (e.g., trigger avoidance), and supportive measures (e.g., moisturizers) can help reduce signs and symptoms of AD.

Oral Immunotherapy in Peanut-Allergic Adults Using Real-World Materials

Hunter H, Ue KL, Cornelius V, Yung CC, Thomas I, Tsilochristou O, Layhadi J, Siew LQC, Venter C, Shamji MH, Till SJ. Allergy. 2025 Apr 23. doi: 10.1111/all.16493. 

ABSTRACT

Background

Peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) has shown effectiveness in achieving desensitization of children; however, evidence in adults is lacking.

Methods

Graphical Abstract

This phase II trial evaluated peanut OIT in peanut-allergic adults using real-world peanut products. A Simon's minimax two-stage design, incorporating a stop:go for futility, was employed.

Herpes Zoster Vaccination and Dementia Occurrence

Pomirchy M, Bommer C, Pradella F, Michalik F, Peters R, Geldsetzer P. JAMA. 2025 Apr 23:e255013. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.5013.

Key Points

Question  What is the effect of herpes zoster vaccination on the probability of receiving a new diagnosis of dementia?

Findings  In this quasi-experimental study using electronic health record data from Australia, being eligible for herpes zoster vaccination based solely on date of birth significantly decreased the probability of receiving a new dementia diagnosis during 7.4 years by 1.8 percentage points.

Meaning  By taking advantage of a quasi-experiment, this study provides evidence for a beneficial effect of herpes zoster vaccination for preventing or delaying dementia that is more likely to be causal than the associations reported in the existing correlational evidence.

Abstract

Importance  Recent evidence from a quasi-experiment in Wales showed that herpes zoster (HZ) vaccination appears to prevent or delay dementia.

Urticaria and other mimickers of urticaria

Rojo-Gutierrez MI, Moncayo-Coello CV, Macias Weinmann A, Gomez RM, Ensina LF, Cherrez-Ojeda I, Piraino Sosa P, Latour Staffeid P, Valentin Rostan M.  Front Allergy. 2025 Feb 13;5:1522749. doi: 10.3389/falgy.2024.1522749. 

Abstract

Urticaria is a mast cell-dependent skin disease characterized by the presence of hives, angioedema, or both in the absence of systemic symptoms. It may be acute, or chronic. (1) Acute urticaria (AU) is common in children, affecting boys and girls equally. Chronic urticaria (CU) affects adult women more (3). AU affects more than 20% of the population and CU 0.1 and 1.5%. There are many pathologies that do not meet the clinical criteria for urticaria, despite being called urticarias, which leads to erroneous diagnoses and inconclusive epidemiology.

Prenatal exposure to mixtures of phthalates and bisphenol A and eczema risk: findings in atopic and non-atopic children from the LiNA birth cohort

Sergio Gómez-Olarte, Stefan Röder, Ulrike Rolle-Kampczyk, Ulrich Sack, Martin von Bergen, Michael Borte, Ana C. Zenclussen, Gunda Herberth, Environmental Research, 2025, 121667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.121667.

Abstract

Background

We investigated whether maternal exposure to phthalate and bisphenol A (BPA) mixtures is associated with eczema in children, as most studies have only addressed single chemical exposures.

Graphical Abstract

Methods

Nine phthalate metabolites and BPA were quantified in urine at gestational weeks 34-36 (n = 540) and total, inhalant, and food allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels (sx1, and fx5) were measured in serum from 4-year-old children of the LiNA cohort (n = 219). The association of prenatal exposure to phthalates and BPA, both single and mixed, with eczema and IgE was assessed in children stratified by atopy status.

The combination of allergen immunotherapy and biologics for inhalant allergies: Exploring the synergy

Olivieri B, Günaydın FE, Corren J, Senna G, Durham SR. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2025 Apr;134(4):385-395. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2024.06.016. 

Abstract

Interplay between AIT and biologics in modulating allergic inflammation. 

The development of monoclonal antibodies that selectively target IgE and type 2 immunity has opened new possibilities in the treatment of allergies. Although they have been used mainly as single therapies found to have efficacy in the management of asthma and other T2-mediated diseases, there is a growing interest in using these monoclonal antibodies in combination with allergen immunotherapy (AIT). AIT has transformed the treatment of allergic diseases by aiming to modify the underlying immune response to allergens rather than just providing temporary symptom relief.