J. O'b. Hourihane

A revised nomenclature for allergy. An EAACI position statement from the EAACI nomenclature task force.

This report has been prepared by an EAACI task force representing the five EAACI Sections and the EAACI Executive Committee composed of specialists that reflect the broad opinion on allergy expressed by various clinical and basic specialties dealing with allergy. The aim of this report is to propose a revised nomenclature for allergic and related reactions that can be used independently of target organ or patient age group. The nomenclature is based on the present knowledge of the mechanisms which initiate and mediate allergic reactions. However, the intention has not been to revise the nomenclature of nonallergic hypersensitivity.

Impact of peanut allergy on quality of life, stress and anxiety in the family.

Background:  Peanut allergy (PA) is known to impact on quality of life (QoL) of the sufferer, but little research has focused on all family members. We therefore sought to establish the impact of PA on QoL and reported anxiety of children with clinically confirmed PA, their parents and older siblings.

Does severity of low‐dose, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenges reflect severity of allergic reactions to peanut in the community?

Background The severity of allergic reactions to food appears to be affected by many interacting factors. It is uncertain whether challenge‐based reactions reflect the severity of past reactions or can predict future risk.

Food allergy QoL questionnaire for children aged 0–12 years: content, construct, and cross-cultural validity

Background To date, there is no food allergy‐specific questionnaire that allows parents to report childrens health‐related QoL (HRQL) from the childs perspective.

Development and validation of a self-administered Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire for children

Background Having a food allergy may affect health‐related quality of life (HRQL). Currently, no validated, self‐administered, disease‐specific HRQL questionnaire exists for children with food allergy.

Kiwi fruit is a significant allergen and is associated with differing patterns of reactivity in children and adults

Background Allergy to kiwi fruit appears increasingly common, but few studies have evaluated its clinical characteristics, or evaluated methods of investigating the allergy.

Longitudinal validity and responsiveness of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire - Parent Form in children 0-12 years following positive and negative food challenges.

Background There are no published studies of longitudinal health‐related quality of life (HRQL) assessments of food‐allergic children using a disease‐specific measure.

A framework for measuring the social impact of food allergy across Europe: a Europrevall state of the art paper

This state of the art paper has been developed through EuroPrevall, a European multicentre research project funded by the European Union which aims to improve quality of life for food allergic individuals. Food allergy (whether clinically diagnosed or self‐perceived) represents a major health issue in Western societies and may have a considerably greater impact on society than was previously believed. However, the social impact of food allergy has never been systematically investigated using validated instruments. Combining the information from studies on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) with epidemiological data on prevalence will ultimately give some indication of the magnitude of the social impact of food allergy in Europe. HRQoL can be assessed with disease‐specific questionnaires, which are being developed in EuroPrevall. These instruments will be used to identify HRQoL problems associated with food allergy, and to assess the effectiveness of interventions and to guide the development of regulatory policies.

Incorporating a gender dimension in food allergy research: a review.

Sex and gender are the major determinants of health and disease in both men and women. The aim of this review paper was to examine differences in gender and sex in relation to the prevalence and effects of food allergy. There are still major gaps in our knowledge about the kinds of processes which shape mens and womens perceptions and experiences of food allergy. The expression and experience of health and illness may be moderated by variables such as biological vulnerability, exposure to health risks, perception of symptoms, evaluation of risk, information processing and role expectations. This review highlights the complex links between biological sex, gender, and health in general and offers a synthesis of how these may interact to produce sex and gender differences in biopsychosocial manifestations of food allergy. Implications for research and public health practice are discussed.

The promiscuity of immunoglobulin E binding to peanut allergens, as determined by Western blotting, correlates with the severity of clinical symptoms

Background IgE binding to a specific protein has been shown to be associated with severe anaphylaxis to hazelnuts; however, the relationship between IgE binding to specific peanut allergens and symptom severity is currently unclear.