PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Race plays a role in children's food allergies

Study by researchers at 4 major academic institutes including Rush finds Black children have higher rates of fish and shellfish allergies

2021-01-26
(Press-News.org) Black children have significantly higher rates of shellfish and fish allergies than white children, confirming that race plays an important role in how children are affected by food allergies, researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found. Results of the study were published in the February issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

"Food allergy is a common condition in the U.S., and we know from our previous research that there are important differences between African-American and white children with food allergy, but there is so much we need to know to be able to help our patients from minority groups," said Dr. Mahboobeh Mahdavinia, who is lead author of the study and chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Medical Center.

The large, multicenter national trial, called Food Allergy Management and Outcomes Related to White and African American Racial Differences (FORWARD), aimed to carefully investigate disparities between Black and white children in food allergy outcomes.

"In this current paper, our goal was to understand whether children from different races are allergic to similar foods, or if there is a difference based on their racial background," Mahdavinia said.

Food allergy is major public health concern, affecting 8% of children in the United States, with an estimated economic burden of $24.8 billion annually. In people with food allergies, a tiny amount of food can trigger signs and symptoms such as hives, breathing and digestive problems or anaphylaxis (a severe, potentially fatal allergic reaction).

"It has been well documented that the prevalence of food allergy has been increasing in children in the U.S., but little data and research exists about its frequency, severity and outcomes among minority races and ethnicities," Mahdavinia said.

She and her colleagues conducted a large study of children ranging in age from birth to 12 years old who were diagnosed with food allergy and were seen in allergy/immunology clinics at four urban tertiary care centers in the U.S., which included Rush University Medical Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Children's National Hospital, located in Washington, DC. The study included 664 children and was composed of 36 percent Black and 64 percent non-Hispanic white children.

Cockroach exposure may lead to shellfish allergy

The study found that the Black children were more likely to have an allergy to shellfish and fin fish, plus higher odds of having a wheat allergy, compared to the non-Hispanic white children. Researchers suspect that shellfish allergy may occur from inhaling tropomyosin, the protein of two common household allergens, dust mite and cockroach, which share 80% of amino acid sequencing with shellfish.

Cockroach exposure may be the mechanism by which children develop a shellfish allergy, because higher levels of cockroach allergen have been found in lower socioeconomic, inner-city neighborhoods where many Black children live. Tropomyosin, which regulates muscle contraction and relaxation, also has been found in fin fish.

While scientists are still trying to figure out the exact mechanism of the allergy, the findings provide further insight into the importance of reducing Black children's exposure to cockroaches.

"This information can help us care for not only a child's food allergy, but all of their allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis," said Susan Fox, PA-C, MMS, who is a co-author of the study and an allergy and immunology physician assistant at Rush University Medical Center.

In this study, the Black children with food allergies were more likely to have asthma. The study showed that children with a shellfish allergy were more likely to have more severe asthma, while other food allergens were not associated with a diagnosis of asthma.

"A major concern is that there is a higher prevalence of asthma in African-American children with food allergies when compared with white children with food allergies. Approximately 70% of fatal food anaphylaxis is accompanied by asthma. African-American children are at a two- to threefold risk of fatal anaphylaxis compared to white children," Mahdavinia said. "By knowing this information, it can identify are most at risk patients.

"We need to conduct further research to identify food allergies and food sensitivities among all races and ethnicities so we can develop culturally-sensitive and effective educational programs to improve food allergy outcomes for all children," Mahdavinia added.

INFORMATION:

Dr. Mary C. Tobin and Susan Fox PA, allergists at Rush, also are among the co-authors of the study.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Life-threatening complications during pregnancy: greater long-term risk of death

2021-01-26
A research team from the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) has shown that women who have had serious complications during pregnancy are twice as likely to die up to three decades later. Serious conditions such as stroke, cardiac complications, acute kidney failure and pre-eclampsia affect just under 5 % of women during pregnancy and childbirth. In a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, CRCHUM researcher Dr. Nathalie Auger and postdoctoral fellow Ugochinyere Vivian Ukah examined the long-term mortality risks of women with these types of pregnancy complications by analyzing more than 1.2 million records of women who gave birth in Quebec between 1989 and 2016. Their findings? Compared to women who had no serious pregnancy complications, women ...

Partners in crime: genetic collaborator may influence severity of the rare disease, NGLY1

Partners in crime: genetic collaborator may influence severity of the rare disease, NGLY1
2021-01-26
In 2012, four-year-old Bertrand Might became the first-ever patient diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called N-glycanase (NGLY1) deficiency. The discovery of this condition and Bertrand's diagnosis allowed doctors to look for other children with the same genetic defect. Since then, more than 60 additional patients have been found. The disease affects every system of the body and is characterized by low muscle tone, seizures, developmental delays, and an inability to produce tears. Sadly, Bertrand passed away in October at the age of 12. Although his life was cut short, his legacy will benefit children around the world. Through ...

UC study: The dangers of drugged driving are outpacing drunk driving

UC study: The dangers of drugged driving are outpacing drunk driving
2021-01-26
A recent study of drugged driving, by a team of University of Cincinnati researchers, shows that a sizable percentage of individuals reported the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs while operating behind the wheel. "We need to focus our efforts on drugged driving, in addition to drunk driving, because drugged driving causes such a high level of fatalities, says Andrew Yockey, a doctoral student in UC's College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services and researcher at the UC Center for Prevention Science. Yockey is lead author on the study ...

Hybrid closed-loop insulin therapy improves glycemic control

Hybrid closed-loop insulin therapy improves glycemic control
2021-01-26
New Rochelle, NY, January 26, 2021--Hybrid closed-loop insulin therapy improved glycemic control in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes. These outcomes, derived from the International Diabetes Closed-Loop (iDCL) Trial, are reported in the peer-reviewed journal Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT). Click here to read the article now. Adolescents and young adults with a mean age of 17 years were randomly assigned to a closed-loop control (CLC) insulin delivery system or a sensor augmented pump (SAP) with a continuous glucose monitoring system over a 6-month period. The Time in Range increased by 13% for the CLC group, compared to a decrease of 1% with SAP, for a group ...

Satellite data reveals bonds between emissions, pollution and economy

Satellite data reveals bonds between emissions, pollution and economy
2021-01-26
Burning fossil fuels has long powered world economies while contributing to air pollution and the buildup of greenhouse gases. A new analysis of nearly two decades of satellite data shows that economic development, fossil-fuel combustion and air quality are closely linked on the continental and national scales, but can be decoupled at the national level, according to Penn State scientists. "We know air pollution and economic development are linked, but we want to know how tightly and whether our actions can change this," said Ruixue Lei, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science. "We found they are not inherently bonded and can be decoupled under favorable policies." While previous research has explored the connections between air ...

Researchers simplify the study of gene-environment interactions

2021-01-26
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University's Ithaca campus have developed a new computational method for studying genetic and environmental interactions and how they influence disease risk. The research, published Jan. 7 in The American Journal of Human Genetics, makes the process of finding these interactions much less difficult and demonstrates their importance in determining body mass index and diabetes risk. "Our study demonstrates that your genes matter and the environment matters and that the interaction of the two can increase risk for disease," said co-senior author, Dr. Olivier ...

Ocean toxin a heartbreaking threat for sea otters

Ocean toxin a heartbreaking threat for sea otters
2021-01-26
Heart disease is a killer threat for southern sea otters feasting on domoic acid in their food web, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis. The study, published in the journal Harmful Algae, examined the relationship between long-term exposure to domoic acid and fatal heart disease in southern sea otters, a threatened marine mammal. "Sea otters are an amazing indicator of what's happening in the coastal environment, not just to other marine animals, but to us, too, especially on the issue of domoic acid," said Christine K. Johnson, director of the EpiCenter ...

Smart algorithm cleans up images by searching for clues buried in noise

2021-01-26
To enter the world of the fantastically small, the main currency is either a ray of light or electrons. Strong beams, which yield clearer images, are damaging to specimens. On the other hand, weak beams can give noisy, low-resolution images. In a new study published in END ...

Southern Africa's most endangered shark just extended its range by 2,000 kilometers

2021-01-26
MAPUTO, Mozambique (January 26, 2021) - A team of marine scientists led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has confirmed that southern Africa's most threatened endemic shark - the Critically Endangered shorttail nurse shark (Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum) - has been found to occur in Mozambique; a finding that represents a range extension of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles). Publishing their findings in the journal Marine Biodiversity, the team said that the discovery was based on several records of the shark including underwater video surveys collected in 2019, recent photos of shore-based sport anglers' catches, and the identification of a specimen collected in 1967. The ...

Concordia researchers find melatonin is effective against polycystic kidney disease

Concordia researchers find melatonin is effective against polycystic kidney disease
2021-01-26
A hormone commonly associated with sleep-wake regulation has been found to reduce cysts in fruit flies, according to Concordia researchers. It's a finding that may affect the way we treat some kidney diseases and reduce the need for kidney transplants. In a new paper published in the journal END ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New discovery reveals the spinal cord’s role in bladder control

Kākāpō decline reveals threat of parasite coextinction

Astrocytes identified as hidden culprit behind PTSD

Offering self-collection kits in routine GP appointments could prevent 1,000 women a year from developing cervical cancer

European study offers clearer picture of childhood brain tumor survival

The Lancet: Three in five liver cancer cases due to preventable risk factors; obesity-linked cases on the rise, new analysis suggest

Tiny artificial cells can keep time, study finds

How aging quiets lupus and brings relief to some older patients

Research alert: Synergistic treatment approach supercharges cancer immunotherapy

White veteran high users of online portal generate and exchange more messages than certain patient minorities in the Veterans Health Administration

Web-based tool helps Michigan physicians navigate diabetes coverage and prior authorization

Most primary care patients with opioid use disorder who start treatment stay engaged

U.S.-born Latinos have higher rates of obesity compared to foreign-born Latino and white youth

Study finds veterans experiencing homelessness who gain housing are more likely to get colorectal and breast cancer screenings

Body fat percentage beats BMI in predicting 15-year mortality risk among U.S. adults ages 20 to 49

Umbrella review summarizes family physicians’ experiences with clinical integration

HEAL protocol addresses human trafficking in Brazilian primary care

Study finds uneven progress toward diabetes goals across patient groups in the enhanced primary care diabetes program

Veterans experiencing homelessness who secure housing more likely to get cancer health screenings

Family physicians improve rural maternity outcomes but those in high-need states need support

Tip sheet summaries Annals of Family Medicine July/August 2025

TFLN-based RGB multiplexer for energy-efficient laser beam scanning

On a Florida bombing range, endangered woodpeckers get a second chance

Study identifies gene clusters in rhizobia linked to robust legume growth

Remapping the evolutionary tree of butterflies

Employees who spot problems help the bottom line, so why do leaders give more power to bootlickers?

Could living near water mean you’ll live longer?

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome linked to worse surgical outcomes, higher costs

US POINTER trial: Structured lifestyle intervention delays cognitive decline

Detecting a potential behavioral biomarker for Parkinson’s disease in mice

[Press-News.org] Race plays a role in children's food allergies
Study by researchers at 4 major academic institutes including Rush finds Black children have higher rates of fish and shellfish allergies