Do gender and puberty influence allergic diseases?

Differences between biological sex, gender identity, and their impact on health may have significant implications for the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of several diseases, including allergies. Asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic dermatitis (AD), and allergic conjunctivitis (AC) have different prevalences and different risk factors in infancy. Although boys present allergies more often in childhood, it quickly changes during girls’ sexual development, leading to lifelong female predominance of allergic diseases. This can be explained by the influence of sexual hormones, different lifestyles adopted by men and women, microbiota diversity, diet distinctions, professional options, and adherence to treatment, among others. Gender-related aspects should become essential parameters in allergology to diagnostic and therapeutic stratification, associated with molecular, genetic, and epigenetic patterns. Longitudinal studies would be interesting to evaluate possible mechanisms underlying these differences in prevalence. Sex- and gender-specific observations beyond 14 years of age are scarce and further allergic multimorbidity studies in different populations, especially in adults, are necessary (AU)

Do gender and puberty influence allergic diseases?

Differences between biological sex, gender identity, and their impact on health may have significant implications for the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of several diseases, including allergies. Asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic dermatitis (AD), and allergic conjunctivitis (AC) have different prevalences and different risk factors in infancy. Although boys present allergies more often in childhood, it quickly changes during girls' sexual development, leading to lifelong female predominance of allergic diseases. This can be explained by the influence of sexual hormones, different lifestyles adopted by men and women, microbiota diversity, diet distinctions, professional options, and adherence to treatment, among others. Gender-related aspects should become essential parameters in allergology to diagnostic and therapeutic stratification, associated with molecular, genetic, and epigenetic patterns. Longitudinal studies would be interesting to evaluate possible mechanisms underlying these differences in prevalence. Sex- and gender-specific observations beyond 14 years of age are scarce and further allergic multimorbidity studies in different populations, especially in adults, are necessary.

Importância do gênero em doenças alérgicas / Gender importance in allergic diseases

As diferenças entre o sexo biológico, identidade de gênero e seu impacto na saúde podem ter implicações significativas para a prevenção, rastreamento, diagnóstico e tratamento de diversas doenças, inclusive as alérgicas. A medicina de precisão pode levar a novas classificações para as doenças, baseadas nos mecanismos moleculares. Já a medicina personalizada tem um significado mais amplo, levando em consideração o indivíduo a ser tratado. Embora a alergia seja mais prevalente em meninos na infância, isto muda rapidamente durante o desenvolvimento sexual das meninas, levando à predominância feminina vitalícia nas doenças alérgicas. Isso pode ser explicado pela influência dos hormônios sexuais, diferentes estilos de vida adotados por homens e mulheres, diferenças imunológicas, variações na microbiota, qualidade da alimentação, tipo de profissão, adesão ao tratamento, entre outros. Aspectos relacionados ao gênero devem se tornar parâmetros essenciais em alergologia para a estratificação diagnóstica e terapêutica, associados aos aspectos moleculares, genéticos e epigenéticos. Para o sucesso do tratamento é importante conhecer o indivíduo a ser tratado, levando em consideração seus aspectos biológicos, psicológicos, socioeconômicos e práticos, realizando uma abordagem personalizada.

Differences between biological sex, gender identity, and their impact on health may have significant implications to screening, diagnosis, and treatment of several diseases, including allergies. Precision medicine may lead to new classifications of diseases based on molecular mechanisms. Personalized medicine, in turn, has a wider spectrum considering the individual patient to be treated. Although boys have allergies more often in childhood, this quickly changes during girls' sexual development, leading to a lifelong female predominance of allergic diseases. This can be explained by influence of sexual hormones, different lifestyles adopted by men and women, microbiota variations, diet quality, occupation, and adherence to treatment, among others. Genderrelated aspects should become essential parameters in allergology for diagnostic and therapeutic stratification, associated with molecular, genetic, and epigenetic aspects. To obtain a successful treatment, knowing the individual to be treated, considering biological, psychological, socioeconomic, and practical aspects, is important to perform a personalized approach.

Entendendo a alergia ocular / Understanding eye allergy

A associação entre sintomas de asma, rinoconjuntivite (RCA) e conjuntivite alérgica (CA) é frequente, e sintomas oculares podem afetar 75% dos pacientes com rinite, e 20% dos asmáticos. Embora asma e RCA sejam comumente associadas, a prevalência desta em crianças e os fatores de risco para seu desenvolvimento têm sido estudados com menor frequência. A CA é um espectro de condições clínicas que varia de formas agudas a formas crônicas e graves. A CA é frequentemente subdiagnosticada em pacientes com RA e asma, pois os sintomas são pouco valorizados. O desenvolvimento de RCA depende de fatores genéticos e ambientais, e estudos indicam que sexo, história familiar de atopia, sensibilização precoce, alergia alimentar e dermatite atópica são fatores de risco. Existem seis formas clínicas de alergia ocular: conjuntivite alérgica sazonal, conjuntivite alérgica perene, ceratoconjuntivite vernal, conjuntivite papilar gigante, ceratoconjuntivite atópica e blefaroconjuntivite de contato. As diferentes formas clínicas envolvem diferentes mecanismos imunológicos, principalmente reações de hipersensibilidade Tipo 1 e Tipo 4. Os principais sintomas são prurido ocular, hiperemia conjuntival, secreção ocular e lacrimejamento, sendo o prurido o sintoma cardinal. A avaliação do especialista em alergia é importante para a identificação de possíveis agentes desencadeantes, e do oftalmologista para avaliar possíveis complicações. A maioria dos pacientes com alergia ocular inicia o tratamento com automedicação, geralmente com colírios não específicos. Anti-histamínicos são os principais medicamentos utilizados. Corticoides tópicos são reservados para casos graves. Imunomoduladores podem beneficiar esses pacientes, bem como imunoterapia. Imunobiológicos têm sido estudados para casos refratários.

Association between asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) and allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is frequent, and ocular symptoms may affect 75% of patients with rhinitis and 20% of those with asthma. Although asthma and ARC are commonly associated, the prevalence of eye allergy in children and the risk factors for its development are not well established. AC is a spectrum of clinical conditions ranging from acute to severe chronic cases. It is frequently underdiagnosed in patients with asthma and rhinitis because symptoms are underestimated. ARC development depends on genetic and environmental factors, and studies indicate that sex, family history of atopy, early sensitization, food allergy and atopic dermatitis are risk factors. There are six clinical forms of eye allergy: seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, perennial allergic conjunctivitis, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, giant papillary conjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis and contact blepharoconjunctivitis. Different clinical aspects involve different immunologic mechanisms, especially type 1 and type 4 hypersensitivity reactions. The most common symptoms are itchy eyes, conjunctival hyperemia, ocular discharge and watering. The evaluation of an allergy specialist is important to identify possible triggering factors, and an ophthalmologist is able to evaluate possible complications. Most patients with eye allergy start treatment with self-medication, generally non-specific eye drops. Anti-histamines are the most commonly used medications. Topical corticosteroids are reserved for severe cases. Immunomodulators may benefit such patients, as well as immunotherapy. Biologics are being studied for refractory cases.