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EAACI International Outreach Preparations for Geneva New EAACI Patient Organisation Committee Fellowships Awards 2012 … and more! www.eaaci.net EAACI – excellence in allergy Issue 27 | May 2012 © Genève Tourisme

EAACI International Outreach 27-EAACI Newsletter May201… · (2–5 August 2012 in Tallinn, Esto-nia) and “Specific Allergy and Immunotherapy” (15–18 Novem-ber 2012 in El Escorial,

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Page 1: EAACI International Outreach 27-EAACI Newsletter May201… · (2–5 August 2012 in Tallinn, Esto-nia) and “Specific Allergy and Immunotherapy” (15–18 Novem-ber 2012 in El Escorial,

EAACI International OutreachPreparations for GenevaNew EAACI Patient Organisation CommitteeFellowships Awards 2012… and more!

www.eaaci.netEAACI – excellence in allergy

Issue 27 | May 2012

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Page 2: EAACI International Outreach 27-EAACI Newsletter May201… · (2–5 August 2012 in Tallinn, Esto-nia) and “Specific Allergy and Immunotherapy” (15–18 Novem-ber 2012 in El Escorial,

2 May 2012 · Issue 27

EAACI – A Story Of Wisdom and Boldness

Dear Reader,

Don’t worry, there are no fairy tales in this issue of the EAACI Newsletter! Just facts and history. Well, with a little bit of a personal touch sometimes, but still accurate.

The brightest future will always be based on an unforgotten past. The EAACI Newsletter introduces a new topic celebrating the EAACI’s history created by dedicated people, successful congresses and meetings, of our striving for excellence and creativity. An impressive history, built with wisdom and boldness.

Creating value is in fact the EAACI’s essential core. Allergy and Clinical Immunology science is the EAACI at its best, as is our education and communication. The outstanding Winter School initiated by our President Cezmi Akdis celebrated its 10th anniversary. The biggest allergy event of 2012 follows in Geneva in June. Following our successful campaign on allergen specific immunotherapy, an amazing project on Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis is about to begin. Young researchers’ dreams become reality as a result of the Fellowship Programme. The EAACI journals (Allergy, PAI and CTA) are excellent examples of editorial professionalism and dedication. The formation of an international Patient Committee as a sub-group of a medical scientific body (EAACI) is a world first.

“Friendship? Yes, please,” said Charles Dickens. So did the EAACI with the iCAAL initiative launched in March 2012. Also, within the International Outreach Project, the EAACI’s voice was heard at top congresses including the ACAAI, the WAO, and the AAAAI, as well as the India, Tanzania, and Davos meetings. Sharing knowledge, opening arms, appraising true value.

Dear Reader, as we near the end now, let’s listen to Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover.” In other words, just go along with making EAACI history.

Enjoy the Newsletter!

Ioana AgacheEAACI Newsletter Editor

EditorialMessage from the President 3

EAACI History – CongressesIn Memory of Andrzej Szczeklik 4

Meet the Person Behind – Dr William Frankland 5

Preparations for Geneva Milan will Host the EAACI-WAO World Allergy and Asthma Congress in 2013 6

Allergies in a Changing Environment in Europe 7

We Call for iCAALL 8

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis CampaignEAACI Launches Patient Organisation Committee in Geneva 9

News from the Swiss Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (SSAI)Allergy Highlights 10

PAI HighlightsFellowships Awards 2012 11

Proud to be EAACI!Communications UpdateCME Accreditation 13

EAACI International Outreach 14 15

Report from WS in SwedenReport from AS in Davos 16

EAACI at the 2012 OlympicsTask Forces 17

Immunology Section Activities 18

Emerging Food allergens 19

EditorIoana AgacheDept. of Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyTransylvania University BrasovNicolae Balcescu 56Brasov, [email protected]

Co-ordinating EditorCristina Achiaga

Newsletter Contact InformationEAACI HeadquartersGenferstrasse 218002 Zurich, SwitzerlandTel.: +41 44 205 55 33Fax: +41 44 205 55 [email protected]

Copyright © 2012 by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology does not endorse products or services from related indus-tries, associations or organisations. As such, any external advertisements that appear in the EAACI Newsletter are not an endorsement of their products or services.

CONTENTS

Congress and Event ManagersSusanne Rothschild [email protected]

Dermot [email protected]

Congress and Event OfficerGunta [email protected]

EAACI Headquarters Contact Information

Education, Specialty and Science ManagerSladjana [email protected]

Team Assistant & Scientific Co-ordinatorJeanette [email protected]

Membership & IT Co-ordinatorStefan [email protected]

Head of CommunicationsPanthea [email protected]

Communications ManagerMacarena [email protected]

Communications OfficerCristina [email protected]

Executive Director Michael Walker, [email protected]

Page 3: EAACI International Outreach 27-EAACI Newsletter May201… · (2–5 August 2012 in Tallinn, Esto-nia) and “Specific Allergy and Immunotherapy” (15–18 Novem-ber 2012 in El Escorial,

Message from the President

May 2012 · Issue 27 3

Yet another year has passed and we find ourselves on the threshold of a new EAACI Congress: our EAACI Congress 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland. We are all very excited about this big and important event that promises to be placed appro-priately at the crossroads of research, practice, and education. It will bring together the best clini-cians and scientists in the field of allergy and contribute to the exchange of science between par-ticipants in an international and exciting atmosphere.

Our Congress is our main event, but there is much more going on in our Academy… The number of members working on the boards of our Sections and Interest Groups, who very actively contribute to the activities of our Academy, now totals more than 180. Approxi-mately 300 members are involved in more than 50 Task Forces developing position papers on rel-evant, controversial, and leading topics in the areas of allergy and clinical immunology. The results of these Task Forces are part of the Academy’s solid scientific mes-sage, which can be of considerable support for health professionals managing patients that suffer from allergies and asthma.

It is my great pleasure to be able to inform you that as a follow-up to the EAACI European Declaration on Allergen Immunotherapy, the

article “100 Years of Allergen Immunotherapy European Acad-emy of Allergy and Clinical Immu-nology Celebration: Review of Unanswered Questions” has been published in Allergy. This article is focused on the discussions related to the practice of allergen immu-notherapy in the clinic that took place at the SummIT in Geneva in 2011 as part of the celebration of 100 Years of Immunotherapy. The EAACI European Declaration on Immunotherapy has been trans-lated into ten languages by our Junior Members. The Academy is also developing strategies and tools to accurately inform the European legislative environment. In March, a Public Workshop titled “Allergies in a Changing Environ-ment in Europe” took place in Brussels, Belgium, to inform stakeholders about current and future developments in allergy research in a bid to increase public awareness about this ongoing epi-demic and raise its profile.

Facing the challenge of an increas-ingly globalised world, the Acad-emy has been working hard to expand its strong international impact by participating actively in the congresses of sister organisa-tions such as the American Acad-emy of Allergy, Asthma and Clini-cal Immunology (AAAAI), the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), and the World Allergy Organiza-

tion (WAO). Our collaboration with these organisations includes a new project termed International Collaboration in Asthma and Allergy (iCAALL). iCAALL is a col-laborative international outreach programme, which is aimed to increase and co-ordinate the com-munication of information about allergies, asthma, and immuno-logical diseases on a global level.

In terms of education, the Winter School in Åre, Sweden, was a great success and was very well received by the participants. We are slowly developing a tradition of long scientific discussions between junior members at these Winter Schools, which follows the practice at our Davos Winter Schools. I am convinced that the upcoming 2012 schools will provide all of you with the latest knowledge on topics including “Asthma exacerbations: Risk factors and management” (2–5 August 2012 in Tallinn, Esto-nia) and “Specific Allergy and Immunotherapy” (15–18 Novem-ber 2012 in El Escorial, Spain). This year the Academy is organis-ing, for the second time, a Food Allergy Training Course, which will be held on 23–26 August 2012 in Vienna, Austria. This course will be in connection with the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Cam-paign, which will officially start at the EAACI Congress 2012 in Geneva and will offer different activities related to this field.

Several aspects of our work make our Academy a strong organisa-tion: our scientific events, educa-tional opportunities, the dissemi-nation of research, the various communication platforms, and of course, our members. Our mem-bers are the core of the Academy, and for this reason, I am more than happy to encourage you to play an active role in the Academy, not only by participating in our activi-ties, but also by sharing your ideas with us. We will have the opportu-nity to analyse last year’s activi-ties and to discuss upcoming developments in the life of the EAACI during the General Assem-bly, which will take place on 18 June during the EAACI Congress 2012 in Geneva.

I look forward to working together with you all for the future success of our Academy. ●

Cezmi AkdisEAACI President

Becoming the Leading Scientific Organisation for Allergy and Clinical Immunology

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EAACI History

4 May 2012 · Issue 27

Writing a history of the EAACI Congresses pre-sumes knowledge of decades of congresses, memories of the highlights and different aspects of all those meetings and, above all, the author-ity of respectable age to volunteer this overview with some confidence. I do not meet these crite-ria. Others in the EAACI are much better equipped for this task.

However, I have been involved in the EAACI Con-gress in different positions: as attendee, as member of the ExCom and SPC, as Congress President, and finally as EAACI President. From all these different perspectives I can paint a per-sonal but somewhat less historical picture.

Young clinicians or scientists – my first congress was in 1983 in Rome – have simple needs: good discussions with scientists, new contacts and friends, and top-quality lectures presented in an appealing way. At the end of the day, a nice eve-ning with their peers. Your position may change with time, but not these basic needs. In the early 1990s I learned about the work and effort that

go on behind the scenes of the congresses. The 1993 Congress in Rotterdam – a three-day meeting with about 2,000 participants – was organised by Dr. Paul Dieges with the help of a few people and a one-person congress bureau. A huge task! Eleven years later, the organisation of the EAACI Congress in Amsterdam in 2004, with about 5,000 participants, was much easier not only with help from my friends on the local organising committee, but also from Tony Frew and Congrex. Personal milestones were the emphasis on young investigators, and also the involvement of Interest Groups in the SPC during the Amsterdam Congress. Another milestone was the invitation from Jan Lötvall to all EAACI members to send in proposals for the Gothen-burg Congress. At that time, this initiative cre-ated some friendly chaos, but now it is an estab-lished part of SPC procedures. The history of the EAACI Congress is characterised by growth but also by a shift in work and responsibilities from local organisers to EAACI and Congrex. SPC chairs and VPs including Cezmi Akdis, Christian Virchow, and Lars Poulsen played an essential role in these changes.

A History of EAACI Congresses from Different Perspectives

In Memory of Professor Andrzej Szczeklik

Obituary

Professor Andrzej Szczeklik, distinguished scientist, dedicated physician, active member of the EAACI and respected by all of us, died unexpectedly on 3 February 2012 in Krakow, Poland, at the age of 73.

After graduating from the University of Krakow and carrying out his internship in the U.S., Professor Szczeklik worked for several years at the Academy of Medicine in Wrocław. He was Rector of the Copernicus Academy of Medicine in Krakow in 1990–1993, when he was elected Vice-Rector for Medical Affairs of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, where he had been professor and chairman of the Department of Medicine since 1989.

His main research focused on aspirin-induced asthma, cardio- pulmonary disease and eicosanoids involved in their pathogenesis. In 1975, he was the first to propose a prostaglandin hypothesis linking the pathomechanism of hypersensitvity to aspirin and other NSAIDs with the inhibition of cyclooxygenase and with abnormalities in arachidonic acid metabolism.

As EAACI President, the focus is on other issues: how to maintain and strengthen the flow of our congresses, how to choose venues, how to main-tain relationships with sponsors and other organisations, and how to strengthen the finan-cial basis of the congresses. Maybe this is less exciting, but it still keeps the basic needs in mind. Looking back, the history of the EAACI Congress is marked by growth and successes. This history gives us confidence for the future. ●

Roy Gerth van Wijk

Professor Szczeklik received several international awards including First Prize from The Lancet for reporting on genetic polymorphism of leukotriene C4 syntase, the scientific prize from the Royal College of Physicians in London, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Robert A. Cook Memorial Lectureship, and the Clemens von Pirquet Award from the EAACI.

Author and co-author of nearly 600 papers, Professor Szczeklik published in several international medical journals including NEJM, Nature, JACI, and The Lancet.

In addition to his excellence in medicine he was also a man of broad talents: he played the piano, painted, and wrote essays. He published two very well received books: Catharsis: on the art of medicine and Core (both translated to several foreign languages) in his search for a deeper, more spiritual meaning in the practice of medicine.

Professor Szczeklik has left us all with memories of his great personality and accomplishments, which will never be forgotten.

Cezmi AkdisEAACI President

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5May 2012 · Issue 27

Meet the Person Behind

EAACI EVENTS 2012

May• Deadline for middle registration fee for the EAACI Congress 2012• EAACI Newsletter

June16.06 - 20.06 EAACI Congress 2012 - Geneva, Switzerland16.06 EAACI/UEMS Knowledge Examination - Saturday at11:00 during the EAACI Congress 201216.06 EAACI Awards 2012 presented at the Opening Ceremony of the EAACI Congress 2012

18.06 EAACI General Assembly• Launch of the Food Allergy Campaign • Election of the EAACI President-Elect 2013 - 2015• Flyers for the EAACI Congress taking place in two years distributed

July• There are no events planned

August 2.08 - 5.08 Allergy School “Asthma exacerbations: Risk factors and management”, Tallinn, Estonia

23.08 - 26.08 “An EAACI Food Allergy Training Course”, Vienna, Austria• EAACI Newsletter

September• Deadline for budget requests for activities in the following year

October1.10 Call for topics for the EAACI Congress 201411.10 - 13.10 International Severe Asthma Forum (ISAF) - Gothenburg, Sweden

30.11 Abstract deadline for the Winter School 2013• Yearly budget approval by the Executive Committee• Preliminary Programme for the EAACI-WAO Congress 2013 published • EAACI Newsletter

December• EAACI President sends a call to all eligible ExCom Members to send their applications for the BoO Elections - Secretary General, Treasurer, and Vice-Presidents• EAACI member fee invoices are sent out

November1.11 Online registration and abstract submission open for the EAACI-WAO Congress 20131.11 Fellowships 2013 Application opens 1.11 Call for abstract submission for the Winter School 201315.11 - 18.11 Allergy School “Specific Allergy and Immunotherapy”, El Escorial, Spain29.11 – 1.12 Skin Allergy Meeting (SAM) - Berlin, Germany

This calendar intends to inform EAACI members about our Academy’s most important dates. Note that it may vary slightly as at the time of printing this Newsletter dates for some planned EAACI events have not been confirmed.

Calendar NL May 12 HZ.indd 1 02.04.2012 11:57:45

Tell us about yourselfI am now at the age of 100 years, but still very busy. I qualified in 1938 and have been working full time in the allergy field since 1946. I have had mild seasonal hayfever except for the last 2 years for over 90 years. I have induced severe anaphy-laxis in myself from an insect (Rhodnius) bite. My identical twin brother was never allergic to any-thing!

What does EAACI mean to you? Which memories do you have from your years of presidency?The EAACI with all its social and particularly its scientific activities, is a marvelous way to meet old and new friends and keep up to date with all new research projects in the field of allergy.

How did you feel as a recipient of the Noon Award?Very honoured but flabbergasted.

What do you think about the future of the allergy and clinical immunology specialty?During the past few decades we have seen a vast increase in the beginning and continuing research and understanding of allergic diseases. We are

beginning to see the mechanism of allergic inflammation, how immunotherapy may work, how genes determine cellular reactions, how important the environment may be in trying to understand the epidemiology of allergic com-plaints. There are so many scientific modalities that impinge on allergic complaints. During the fourth EAACI Congress in London in 1959, during which I was Secretary General, there were 350 attending. All lectures simultaneously translated into two languages and no posters. The last two Congresses, 8’000 attending. These numbers show how much the whole field of allergy has expanded. However I remember in 1949 when we were considering performing a British Allergy Society that Dale suggested we define the term allergy. One letter sent to me “allergy is a grossly overused word by the lay public (not a definition)”. This is still very true in 2012. It happens that 3 of my lifetime’s most grateful patients, were not allergic on any definition of allergy.

How did you find the EAACI Congress in Istanbul?Both socially and specially scientifically the best organized Congress I have ever been to – I have never missed one!

What would be your advice for young scientists or clinicians starting this career in allergy and clinical immunology spe-cialty?This is a difficult question to answer because so many countries have in their political framework

Dr W. Frankland A Life Dedicated to the Research of Allergy and Immunology

to medical investigations and treatment in the allergic field. In my own country we have places of excellence with world renown. Yet there are amaz-ingly few centres where the allergy sufferer can get advice and help and many general practitio-ners have very little training in allergic diseases. Some countries have very skilled immunologists but their clinical expertise is minimal. Certainly the clinician if he is going to become an allergist must know a great deal about modern immunol-ogy trends. In his/her training they will have spent time with dermatologists, ear nose and throat specialists or clinicians should have in a expanding field many present and future studies to be involved in.

What is your opinion of the Newsletter?It is very well produced. The half or full pages of Interest and Sections groups as well as the page on “Ask the Expert” are essential reading. Indeed all of the Newsletter must be read. I wrote to the previous editor a letter of congratulations and now it is still better. Am I biased? Yes. Because Ioana Agache describes in her editorial “At the Opening Ceremony in Istanbul in a deeply moving emotional moment William Frankland was awarded the Noon Award for a lifelong dedicated to immuno-therapy”. Beautiful English and once again many congratulations on the overall content of the Newsletter. In 2009 at the Warsaw meeting, 200 members (70% allergists) were asked about the Newsletter using a questionnaire. 98% wanted to read it in the future because it was well balanced. Perhaps now the figure will be 100%. ●

Dr W. Frankland with the Noon Award at his office in the UK

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6

EAACI News

May 2012 · Issue 27

EAACI-WAO Congress 2013

EAACI-WAOWorld Allergy & Asthma Congress

22 – 26 June 2013Milan, Italy

www.eaaci-wao2013.com

Abstract

Submission

Deadline:

21 January

2013

Allergy, a Global Health Challenge

Save the date!

Card2013_100530:A5 2011-05-31 12.53 Sida 1

Preparations for GenevaNow, we are sure we will see you in Geneva. We can all look forward to the biggest allergy event of 2012. Welcome to the EAACI Congress 2012! ●

Philippe EigenmannEAACI Congress 2012 Chair

Lars K. PoulsenScientific Programme Committee Co-ordinator

Cezmi AkdisEAACI-WAO Congress 2013 PresidentEAACI President

Ruby PawankarEAACI-WAO Congress 2013 President WAO President

G. Walter CanonicaEAACI-WAO Congress 2013 Local Organising Committee, Chair

It can occasionally be heard at an annual EAACI Congress: “Is there nothing new this year?” We have never heard it said about the poster area or in an oral abstract session room. We do strongly recommend you to attend these ses-sions, as this year you will hear breaking news in clinical and basic science presented in more than 1,600 submitted abstracts.

The Scientific Programme Committee met in Geneva one year ago to finalise all the major sessions for the 2012 EAACI Congress, and the programme was finally completed during the Istanbul Congress, 12 months before this year’s Congress takes place. The programme was printed, and all the speakers invited, but several important things were still missing: Chairpersons should be appointed, and the abstracts had to be selected and allocated to oral abstract sessions, poster discussion ses-sions, and thematic sessions, etc. All this work was accomplished at what is termed the Mara-thon Meeting, which took place outside Geneva at the beginning of February. During two very long working days, all the abstracts, which had already been intensively reviewed by the

The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and the World Allergy Organization (WAO) are combining their efforts once again to organise the World Allergy and Asthma Congress that will take place 22 – 26 June 2013, in Milan.Under the theme “Allergy, a Global Health Chal-lenge”, this Congress aims to bring together the best scientists and clinicians from around the world to share and discuss the latest studies in the field. It will definitely be the major allergy event in 2013.Preparations for the Congress have already begun and at the end of February, the Scientific Programme Committee (SPC) came together to review the suggestions received from EAACI and WAO members. This very productive discussion began the process of designing what will be the

boards of the Academy’s Sections and Interest Groups, were allocated to 35 oral abstract ses-sions, 12 poster discussion sessions, and about 80 thematic poster sessions. In addition, 100 of the best poster presenters have been awarded a travel grant, and more than 400 of the Academy’s members have been asked to help to make the Congress a success by chair-ing one or more sessions.

As a benchside researcher, you will find plenty of opportunities to discuss your science with fellow researchers. Who knows, you may be the one to have the idea that you were looking for during one of these discussions! As a clinician or a bedside researcher, you will have the opportunity to discuss new studies and clinical cases that might influence or change your clin-ical practice.

Have we convinced you that you will have new science in Geneva? If not, late-breaking abstracts and Hot Topic sessions, as yet undecided as we write these words, will give you the latest pub-lications and results for both bedside and benchside research.

preliminary programme for this exciting event. The new developments in clinical practice and research in allergy and clinical immunology will be at the heart of the Congress. Furthermore, the scientific programme will have a broad appeal to all healthcare professionals with an interest in allergy and asthma.The meeting will take place in Mico – Milano Con-gressi, one of the largest and most modern con-gress centres in Europe. Centrally located and well served by public transportation, it will prove a popular choice with attendees both for its con-venience and its state-of-the art facilities. Well-known as the capital of fashion, Milan will also become the world’s capital of allergy and clinical immunology for five days, in June 2013. We look forward to seeing you there! ●

©Genève Tourisme

European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Congress 201216 – 20 June, Geneva, Switzerland

Milan will Host the EAACI-WAO World Allergy and Asthma Congress in 2013

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EAACI News

7May 2012 · Issue 27

The Award was first established in 2000 on the initiative of Allergopharma Joachim Ganzer KG and in collaboration with the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. It is intended that the Award should recognize the scientific achievement of young scientists working in the field of allergy and encourage their engagement in further research. Therefore the Award is open to members of the EAACI, and in particular Junior Members, who have conducted their research in a European centre.

An application for consideration for the Award shall take the form of a full research paper published in an international peer reviewed journal in 2010/2012, together with a covering letter detailing the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the research, and curriculum vitae including a full list of publications. The applications will be considered by an ad hoc Commission nominated by the EAACI Executive Committee and Allergopharma. The thirteenth Award will be presented during the European

Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Congress, Milan 2013.

Applications should be submitted before 31 December 2012 electronically to both the EAACI Headquarters ([email protected]) and Allergopharma ([email protected]). The research paper, curriculum vitae and a covering letter should be included as three separate attachments. If this is not possible, then postal applications can be sent to EAACI Headquarters,

Genferstrasse 21, CH-8002 Zurich, Switzerland (Tel.: +41 44 205 55 33).

Allergopharma Joachim Ganzer KG is committed to furthering excellence in allergy diagnosis and specific immunotherapy through investment in scientific research.

Further Informations can be obtained from: Allergopharma Joachim Ganzer KG, 21462 Reinbek near Hamburg, Germany Phone +49 40 72765-211, Fax +49 40 72765-201, www.allergopharma.com, e-mail: [email protected]

The 13th Allergopharma Award, 2013in the value of Euro 10,000

AAA w a rr dd 22 00 1 3AAllerrgggooopppphhhhaarma

th

Anzeige "13th Allergopharma Award 2013" DIN A5 quer E3.indd 1 23.02.12 11:17

Allergies in a Changing Environment in Europe21 March 2012, Brussels, EU ParliamentA Member of Parliament, Esther de Lange, sponsored and spoke at our meeting. About 46 partici-pants were present, including WHO, FP7 and patient organisa-tion stakeholders. Surprisingly high was the vivid interest of patient organisations (Allergy UK, European Federation of Allergy, EFA, European Public Health Alliance, EPHA, and more). They would like to be heard by politicians and con-cluded that allergic patients are not satisfied with the current situ-ation and ask for improvements (more funding for pollen monitor-ing and into the causes of the epi-demic).Although we had hoped for more Members of Parliament and the Commissions, the workshop was a success. In the Parliament many parallel sessions are held, such as on “The Effect of Climate Change

The EAACI Interest Group “Aerobi-ology and Air Pollution” organised a two-hour workshop in the EU Par-liament in Brussels. The aim was to make politicians aware of the ongoing epidemic in allergic dis-ease (Prof. Dr. Isabella Annesi-Maesano, France, and Peter Bur-ney, UK), that current therapies are still insufficient (Prof. Dr. Antonella Muraro, Italy), that changed land use in the EU can lead to more allergic sensitisations (Prof. Dr. Carmen Galan, Spain), and that allergies are an environmental, multifactorial disease that need a concerted research approach (Prof. Dr. Jeroen Buters, Germany).

We tried to identify where the EU currently spends its research money on allergic diseases (Prof. Buters), and where more attention is needed (exposome). A 30-minute panel discussion led by Dr. Lorenzo Cecchi (Italy) and supplemented with Prof. Mikhail Sofiev (Finland) gave stakeholders time to vent their interests.

The key messages were:1. Currently an epidemic in allergic disease is going on and an end is not in sight2. More research funding into the causes of this increase is needed

on Illegal Immigration”, “Healthy Buildings”, “COPD” (all at the same time), and on this political market “Allergies” is just another stand. We need to do more to be heard. This EAACI workshop was the beginning of a series of workshops planned by the Academy.I thank all the participants for devoting time to this political activity. ●

Prof. Dr. Jeroen ButersInterest Group Aerobiology and Air Pollution Secretary

Prof. Isabella Annesi-MaesanoInterest Group Aerobiology andAir Pollution Chairperson

More information about the programme can be found on www.eaaci.net and/or www.hialine.eu. On the EAACI Website you can also read the press release about this workshop.

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EAACI News

8 May 2012 · Issue 27

iCAALL's mission is to increase worldwide awareness and understanding of allergic diseases and asthma by:• Influencing policy and expanding resources aimed at research, education and care of allergic diseases and asthma• Providing public education for the improvement of the overall health of individuals with allergic diseases and asthma• Developing consensus reports (ICONs) and perhaps iCAALL Guidelines for the management of allergic diseases• Developing and disseminating knowledge and information for optimal patient care by specialists and all other health care professionals.The idea of iCAALL emerged from EAACI as a Presidential initiative by Jan Lötvall, but has grown and reached a wider consensus since. The current steering committee is currently chaired by AAAAI Past President Dennis Ledford, and the EAACI representatives are Cezmi Akdis, Nikolaos Papadopoulos and Jan Lötvall. Keep an eye on iCAALL, it will likely grow exponentially in the years to come. ●

Cezmi AkdisEAACI President

Jan LötvallEAACI Past President

Nikos PapadopoulosEAACI Secretary General

We Call for iCAALL: International Collaboration in Asthma, Allergy and ImmunologyiCAALL stands for International Collaboration for Asthma ALlergy and ImmunoLogy, and is a consorted collaborative action between the world's largest allergy organisations and currently involves the EAACI, AAAAI, WAO, and ACAAI. This activity has been initiated because all the involved associations agreed there is a need for a comprehensive, co-ordinated and collaborative communication strategy to reach out interna-tionally in the field of asthma, allergy and immu-nology. Target groups for this communication strategy are beyond those in the allergy specialty, other health care professionals, the general public, patients, as well as politicians at all levels nationally and internationally.

iCAALL is a long-term project, and will take incremental steps to increase allergy awareness at all levels. One of the first initiatives that have been taken is to build a large compendium of international consensus documents on how to diagnose and manage different allergic diseases and asthma. These documents are called "ICONs", which stands for "International Consen-sus ON", followed by the topic. The first already published ICON is on food allergy, recently pub-lished in JACI. All ICONs will have free access.

Why do we need iCAALL? Allergic diseases are a growing health problem worldwide. One reason is the rapid global urbanization process, leading to increased health costs for the management of allergic diseases. At the same time, outside the allergy specialty, knowledge of the available

opportunities to prevent and treat allergic dis-eases among politicians, policy makers, patients, the public and many health care professionals is severely limited.

The iCAALL partners strongly believe that a coordinated outreach effort toward global com-munication about allergic diseases and asthma is urgently needed to address this knowledge gap. The first major step in addressing this need are are the international consensus documents on many areas of allergy and asthma targeting the larger audience worldwide beyond the spe-cialists in the field.

EAACI, AAAAI, ACAAI and WAO, the first organ-isations to commit to iCAALL, all have similar overall aims, which include: • Promote basic and clinical research in the field of allergy and asthma• Collect, assess, and disseminate scientific information• Act as scientific reference body for other scientific, health, patient and political organisations• Encourage and provide training and continuous education• Collaborate with patients and lay organisations to achieve these goalsThe ICAALL initiative can obviously strongly support these aims by its global approach, with the achievements being applicable to every country in the world.

The iCAALL was launched 4 March 2012 during a press conference at the AAAAI Annual Meet-ing in Orlando, Florida, by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and the World Allergy Organization (WAO). The first ICON, focused on Food Allergy, was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) and presented during this conference. The second ICON on Pediatric Allergy will be launched during the EAACI Congress 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland, 16 - 20 June 2012.

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EAACI News

9May 2012 · Issue 27

Hints & Tips● Visit the EAACI booth at the

EAACI Congress 2012 in Geneva. The EAACI Head-quarters’ staff will be more than happy to answer your questions and to provide you any further support.

● Check your membership status under the Membership Microsite at www.eaaci.net. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

● Find information about accommodation and flights for the EAACI Congress 2012 in Geneva under www.eaaci2012.com.

● Check out the EAACI online journal “Clinical and Translational Allergy” at www.ctajounal.com. It is now linked in PubMed!

● Broaden your knowledge at the Allergy Schools 2012! You can find more information at www.eaaci.net/activities/allergy-schools.html.

● Share your experiences with EAACI on Facebook! www.facebook.com/EAACI.

EAACI MembershipInformation· Total EAACI Members: 7,401

· EAACI Full Members: 4,585

· EAACI Junior Members: 2,816

· Dual AAAAI-EAACI Members: 153

· Dual ACAAI-EAACI Members: 3

· Dual ERS-EAACI Members: 95

· EAACI Asthma Section Members: 1,808

· EAACI Dermatology Section Members: 441

· EAACI ENT Section Members: 401

· EAACI Immunology Section Members: 1,473

· EAACI Pediatrics Section Members: 1,292

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Campaignthis area has come from political bodies, since there are very few active treatments for the condi-tion, and limited support from even fewer pharmaceutical companies with a true interest in food allergy. Therefore, the EAACI believes that there is a need to bring food allergy and anaphylaxis to the forefront, and to do our best to amend this situation, for the sake of our patients. So, we will work to bring together the efforts of all stake-holders in many different projects to tackle the food allergy and ana-phylaxis epidemic! ●

Victoria CardonaEAACI Vice-President Communications and Membership

Antonella MuraroEAACI Treasurer

The EAACI develops public cam-paigns on different topics every year. In 2011, Allergen Immuno-therapy was the focus, since it was the 100th anniversary of the first publications on the subject. In 2012 and 2013, we plan to build a campaign on Food Allergy and

Anaphylaxis. What is the need for such a campaign? Well, first of all, food allergy and anaphylaxis are an increasing problem in society. Cur-rent data show rising prevalence trends, while in general, awareness of these problems seems very low. It is a condition that often affects children, an age group that is a pri-ority for health professionals. Far too many patients, although expe-riencing severe reactions and an important impact on their quality of life, don’t seek adequate advice. Primary health professionals sometimes are unable to help, due to the lack of knowledge about the possibilities regarding diagnosis, preventive measures, and treat-ment. Even more important is the need for building expertise on the recognition of acute reactions and treatment. Also, we must underline that limited support for research in

EAACI Launches Patient Organisation Committee in GenevaThe EAACI is embracing the work of patient support organisations from all over the world. This began in 2011, with invitations to patient group leaders to take half-day workshops as part of the EAACI Congresses in Venice and Istanbul. From these successful events, the Patient Organisation Committee was born. The formation of an international Patient Committee as a sub group of a medical scien-tific body (EAACI) is a world first.More than 25 country representa-tives from across Europe, North America, South America, the Mid-dle East, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand are involved in this initia-tive. Their organisations are com-mitted to allergy management and extending support, sharing infor-mation, resources, and expertise so that global minimum standards of care for those with asthma and those at risk of anaphylaxis can be developed and applied. The Patient Organisation Commit-tee will work within the EAACI plat-form with opinion leaders to

develop better management, edu-cation, access to care, and increased safety and quality of life for individuals with allergy and their carers. The development of global minimum standards of care will assist individuals with allergy worldwide. The establishment of the Patient Organisation Committee as part of the EAACI is an acknowledgement of the importance of patient sup-port organizations that have, for many years, assisted patients with the daily management of their condition outside the physician’s office. The patient organizations represented are evidence-based and are supported by their own independent Medical Advisory Board.Management of both asthma and food allergy is complex. It is impor-tant that patient organisations and expert medical bodies work together to help enhance safety surrounding asthma and food allergy management and emer-gency treatment. Clear and con-

sistent information helps all with the management of a condition which cannot be cured but needs to be managed day to day.As the Patient Organisation Com-mittee prepares for its half-day workshop in Geneva in June 2012, we take this opportunity to thank Antonella Muraro for her passion and ongoing leadership; her sup-port has proved invaluable. We also thank EAACI President Cezmi Akdis for giving this committee a presidential priority and the EAACI Executive Committee for embrac-ing and supporting the work of patient support organizations to improve the state of allergy man-agement in the world. ●

Maria SaidPresident Anaphylaxis AustraliaLynne RegentChief Executive The Anaphylaxis CampaignLaurie HaradaExecutive Director Anaphylaxis Canada

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EAACI News

10 May 2012 · Issue 27

EAACI Website Cornerwww.eaaci.net

www.eaaci.net is the leading resource for researchers, physicians, and scholars working in all fields

associated with Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Visit www.eaaci.net and access our new educational features including:

● the European Declaration on Immunotherapy, complete with translations in different languages● Editorials by renowned scientists ● Webcasts & Slide Kits from EAACI Activities, presented by specialists in Allergy and Clinical Immunology● Juniors with news, questionnaires, and the Quizz™ series brought to you by the JMA community ● Bibliographic Updates in Allergy issued each month ● Press Releases and Media Clippings outlining recent Academy events and activities● details on the JMA-PAI journal collaboration including “JMA must-read papers”

More…Did you know – www.eaaci.net saw an almost 20% year-on-year increase in the number of unique visitors between 2010 and 2011?

Don’t forget…… to register for the 31st EAACI Annual Congress taking place in Geneva, Switzerland on 16–20 June!

There are lots of reasons to visit www.eaaci.net right now, and we plan to offer even more. Stay tuned!

On behalf of the EAACI Web Management Team,

Chrysanthi SkevakiEAACI Website Co-ordinating Editor

Highlights Published in AllergyAllergy welcomes position papers generated by EAACI Task Forces, reviews, and original research work. In the following, we would like to high-light some of the research advances that were recently reported in the Journal. Lifestyle factors and sensiti-sation are still of major interest. Research in this field largely involves birth cohort studies. The ALADDIN study reported that the anthropo-sophic lifestyle is associated with a reduced risk of IgE sensitisation (Stenius F. et al., Allergy 2011:66, 1330-1338). Moreover, the protec-tive effect of breast feeding on the development of allergy and asthma has been widely recognised, although published data are not always consis-tent. In the GINIplus and LISAplus studies, it was demonstrated that the protective effect of breast feeding on asthma was dependent on FADS gene cluster polymorphisms (Standl M. et al., Allergy 2012:67, 83-90). On the

other hand, in the LINA study, mater-nal smoking/exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy was associ-ated with decreased cord blood T regulatory cell numbers and subse-quent atopic dermatitis and food allergy development (Hinz D. et al., Allergy 2012:67, 380-389). In addi-tion to results of cohort studies, Allergy published multiple interesting experimental allergy and immuno-logical studies. For instance, in skin diseases, it was demonstrated that eosinophils express different cyto-kine patterns, which suggests the existence of distinct eosinophil sub-populations under in vivo conditions (Roth N. et al., Allergy 2011:66, 1477-1486). Moreover, the finding of local production of glucocorticoids in the lungs appears to be an important endogenous mechanism regulating inflammatory processes, such as asthma (Hostettler N. et al., Allergy 2012:67: 227-234). Finally, Allergy

just published a review article on a new emerging allergic disease, eosin-ophilic esophagitis. Here, for the first time, pediatric and adult forms were compared and similarities and differ-ences identified (Straumann A. et al., Allergy 2012: Feb 8. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2012.02787.x. [Epub ahead of print]). ●

Hans-Uwe Simon and Thomas BieberAllergy Journal Editors-in-Chief

News from the Swiss Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (SSAI)

The SSAI was founded in the early 1970s and currently comprises approximately 450 members. Inter-estingly, and this is probably a unique feature for an immunological society, the SSAI groups both clinical special-ists in allergy and clinical immunology as well as researchers in the field of basic immunology in general (includ-ing the immunological basis of allergy). This probably gives the SSAI a permanent taste of youth and cre-ativity since the marriage of some-times divergent interests is not always easy and requests a consen-sual and diplomatic approach. Indeed, clinical members have been, as have many other colleagues across the world, the target of public health ser-vices and medical insurance compa-nies. This was particularly true in the last two years.This has progressively transformed the SSAI from a quasi-academic Soci-ety in the early 1990s in charge of evaluating and publishing guidelines in good medical practice in the field, to a more professional syndicate in

charge of defending specialists’ finan-cial and political interests. Constitut-ing several internal commissions, the Specialists’ Commission and its Polit-ical Subcommission are particularly active in this respect and deal on an everyday basis with Swiss Federal Institutions. These novel tasks have a price to be supported by clinical members, another significant change for previously purely medically ori-ented Society members. Nonethe-less, one of the main tasks of the SSAI continues to be the organization of its two main national meetings, one clini-cally oriented, focused on continuous medical education and gathering clinical members and fellows in Grin-delwald, Switzerland, on 20-22 Janu-ary. The other meeting, the official Annual Meeting of the SSAI, focuses on the three main pathways of most contemporary scientific meetings, i.e. basic, translational, and clinical research. On this occasion, clinical members and basic researchers work together and continue to maintain common interests and cultivate the enthusiasm to meet on a common scientific and medical platform. The

maintenance of such a community of interest has always been at the heart of the Society, despite sometimes divergent interests between pure laboratory scientists and clinicians.The SSAI will organize the first day of the EAACI Congress in Geneva as its National 2012 Meeting. The SSAI has invited a large number of internation-ally renowned speakers in a highly stimulating programme covering the most recent scientific progress in allergy and clinical immunology, and also key concepts in medical practice.We look forward to seeing EAACI del-egates actively taking part in the SSAI Annual Meeting on June 16, and already welcome each one of you to Geneva! ●

François Spertini Past President SSAIEAACI Congress 2012 Secretary

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11May 2012 · Issue 27

EAACI News

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology: Great Present, Better FutureIt is now two years since I took over the responsibility of Editor-in-Chief of PAI, and I feel this is a good time to sum up our situation.First of all, our journal is becoming faster and faster. The time needed

to have good articles published has been reduced. Furthermore, our journal is becoming increasingly linked to the world of pediatric allergy and clinical immunology through the initiative “PAI in Coun-tries.” Today I am happy to announce that Switzerland, Japan, and China have already accepted our invitation for articles in 2012. Our Journal is also more closely linked to the Junior Members of the EAACI. The JMA logo in each Table of Contents signals papers chosen by Junior Members as must-read articles for those keeping up to date.Finally, our journal has been suc-cessful in increasing the number of reviews. We foresee publishing at least one and hopefully two reviews per issue in the future.

All these achievements would not have been possible without the enthusiastic support of our Manag-ing-Editor Paolo Matricardi; the new head of our editorial office Doris Kollmann; and Isabell Bretschnei-der, who co-ordinates the JMA ini-tiative. I would like to express my warmest thanks to this dream team in the editorial office in Berlin.Another important point is that PAI is making progress towards globali-sation. We believe that this global vision of our journal, started by my predecessors Prof. Bengt Björgstén and Prof. John Warner, is rapidly expanding. This year we welcome new members to the editorial board and new section editors (Prof. Gary Wong and Prof. Hua Wang from China, Prof. Naomi Kondo and Moto-hiro Ebisawa from Japan; Prof.

PAI-JMA Meeting Istanbul 2011 (left to right: Paraskevi Maggina, Isabell Bretschneider, Enrico Heffler, Alexandra Santos, Doris Kollmann, Chrysanthi Skevaki, Paolo Matricardi, Ulrich Wahn)

Christian Braegger from Switzer-land; Prof. Ömer Kalayci from Tur-key, and Prof. Chrysanthi Skevaki from Greece). We strongly believe that our policy will reinforce PAI as a leading journal in our subspecialty on a worldwide level. ●

Ulrich WahnPediatric Allergy and Immunology Journal Editor-in-Chief

Long Term Medium Term Short Term

Carolina Paz Diaz Gallardo

Ganesh Shelke

Barbara Ernst

Firdaus Hamid

Elisa Schiavi

Luciana Kase Tanno

Monica Boita

Magdalena Muc

Ana Margarida Pereira

Liliana Cifuentes

Narissara Suratannon

Lorena Soto Retes

Elena Bolkhovitina

Antonio Cappella

Artunc Kaan Turanoglu

Petra Brodská

Sofia Tousa

Fellowship Awards 2012Exchange Research Fellowship Award

Clinical Fellowship Award

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Phenotypes of allergic diseases in adults and children

Chairs’ welcome and introduction:Tomas Chivato, SpainJean Bousquet, France

Lectures:Phenotypes and diagnostic tools in allergic rhinitis in adults and childrenPeter Hellings, Belgium

Urticaria phenotypes in adults and childrenAna Gimenez-Arnau, Spain

Milestones in allergic rhinitis and its treatment in adults and childrenGlenis Scadding, UK

New antihistamines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis in childrenPaul Potter, South Africa

Uriach Sponsored Symposium atthe EAACI Congress 2012, Geneva17th June 2012 | 15.30 - 17.00h | Room A

EAACI2012.indd 1 12/03/12 17:34

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13May 2012 · Issue 27

EAACI Activities

Proud to be EAACI!There is no doubt whatsoever that the excellence and achievements of the EAACI are a reflection of the creativity and dedication of its members. It is not by chance that we have steadily become one of the largest and most influential allergy organi-sations in the world, respected by scientific and political institutions alike and admired by our community internationally. The wise political decisions and scientific integrity of our past gen-erations of EAACI leaders have complemented the members’ creativity, consolidated the Acad-emy, and generated an identity and ethos in which we take pride. These core values underlie and guarantee our continuing success. The annual EAACI Congress is the optimal platform for dis-covering new developments, exchanging ideas, and interacting socially, putting together our

power and determination for the best patient care. Our Position Papers reflect balanced views that result from deep understanding and detach-ment from bias, and our many educational activi-ties transmit this knowledge worldwide. Our recently improved and expanded structure, with dedicated Boards comprising some of the most energetic leaders in the field, is coupled with top-level professional management at the Headquar-ters.There is no doubt that we will continue in this pos-itive trajectory; with the same enthusiasm, trust in our members’ wisdom, and organisational effectiveness. The next few years, crisis or not, will see the EAACI at the forefront of education and advocacy with the aim of understanding and alle-viating the allergy epidemic. Communication and

interaction with members is critical. So, in addi-tion to the state-of-the-art science you present at the meetings, whenever you have a bright idea that may help us improve; don’t hesitate to send us a quick email. After all, we’re a family. And the message to our new and junior members is that they should be, as we all are, proud to be EAACI. ●

Nikos PapadopoulosEAACI Secretary General

Communications UpdateAs you all know, during the last year the EAACI has developed a campaign termed Celebrating 100 Years of Immunotherapy in Allergy 1911–2011. One of the outcomes produced was an article titled “100 Years of Allergen Immunother-apy European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Celebration: Review of Unanswered Questions” which has been published in Allergy. This is a must-read paper for all professionals interested in immunotherapy, and is an excellent source of food for thought! The other very important outcome is “The Euro-pean Declaration on Allergen Immunotherapy.” This very interesting and concise overview of the burden of allergic diseases highlights the rele-vance of allergen immunotherapy treatment. It is available on the EAACI website in English, Geor-gian, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Turkish. Further translations will include Dutch,

Greek, Italian, and Portuguese and will be shortly uploaded on www.eaaci.net.We are delighted to announce some very good news about the journal Clinical and Translational Allergy, which has been already indexed in PubMed! Click on the journal’s homepage at www.ctajournal.com and read the latest articles. They may inspire you to send your work to the journal! ●

Victoria CardonaEAACI Vice-President Communications and Membership

CME AccreditationThe importance of the CME credits is continu-ously increasing worldwide. This trend was clearly demonstrated by a survey performed after EAACI Congress in Istanbul in June 2011: the number of participants who required CME credits was higher than in London 2012 (1,988 in Istanbul, 1,742 in London). International CME credits are recog-nized in many countries and EAACI will continue to provide its members and all physicians who are attending EAACI events with the opportunity to receive CME credits according to international procedure. The results of the survey show high interest in participating in online CME accredited activities and the EAACI CME Committee will look for new opportunities in this area.

EBAACI, a joint committee between the EAACI CME Committee and the UEMS Section of Allergology, will also continue its work and independently evaluate the accreditation of international activities in field of allergy and clinical immunology.For more information on the CME accreditation process please feel free to contact EAACI HQ ([email protected]). ●

Fulvio BraidoCME Committee Chairperson

ISAF 2012International Severe

Asthma Forum

11 - 13 October 2012

www.goteborg.com/Jorma Valkonen

Save the date!

Gothenburg, Sweden

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14

EAACI Activities

May 2012 · Issue 27

EAACI was very visible during the AAAAI Annual Meeting in Orlando 2-6 March 2012 not only due to the very high attendance of its members but also thanks to the EAACI Sympo-sium entitled: Immunotherapy from Noon 'til Dawn, from Bench to Bed-side. The EAACI symposium was held on Saturday morning and attracted quite a plausible audience of 400 delegates. The session was struc-tured in terms of providing an over-view of the most recent data on the mechanisms of allergen immuno-therapy and immune tolerance to allergens (Cezmi Akdis), results from recent large scale clinical trials (Vic-toria Cardona), novel approaches to Immunotherapy (Marek Jutel), and developments in the oral immuno-therapy for food allergy (Antonella Muraro). Prof. C. Akdis outlined the basic T cell-mediated mechanisms of immunotherapy, yet however drew attention to unpublished data on the role histamine H2R in the desensiti-sation of basophils. Prof. V. Cardona provided a very complete overview of

The presence of the EAACI at major international meetings highlights state-of-the-art science from Europe and contributes to the success of our international partners. The ACAAI Annual Meeting in Boston, 3-8 November, 2011, attracted a record number of 1,877 physicians, and a total attendance of 3,649. The meet-ing featured a full day Immunotherapy Conference, the annual Literature Review titled “Everything You Should Have Read Last Year, But Didn’t,” and 22 Symposia and Ple-nary Sessions. Participants also had a choice of attending 450 abstract presentations, 40 workshops, 20 Meet the Professor Breakfasts, 8 Product Theatres, and discussions with more than 100 exhibitors.“The EAACI Symposium, titled “Endo-

From 4-8 December in Cancún, México, 3.488 attendees from 79 countries gathered for the XXII World Allergy Congress (WAC 2011). As one of the world’s leading Allergy and Clinical Immunology Societies the EAACI's contribution was highly significant. EAACI contributed to this meeting not only with a specific sym-posium, but in many different ways.Firstly, EAACI organised a Sister Society Symposium on "Phenotypes and Endotypes of Allergic Diseases", with the highest scientific standard. EAACI speakers were world experts in the area, including Adnan Custovic, Antonella Muraro and Ioana Agache, and the meeting was chaired by the EAACI Current and Past Presidents Cezmi Akdis and Jan Lötvall. Further, EAACI together with WAO organised a symposium to support the 2013 EAACI-WAO World Allergy & Asthma Congress in Milan, entitled "Novel and Emerging Therapeutic Strate-gies for Allergy and Asthma". The event included speakers from the whole world: U.S. (Z. Ballas), Switzer-land (Mübeccel Akdis) and Australia (Susan Prescott).

EAACI International OutreachEAACI at the AAAAI Annual

Meeting in Orlando

the most relevant studies of both SLIT and SCIT in terms of improve-ment in clinical scores She also pointed out additional carry-over effects and preventive actions, which provide important socioeconomic effects. Prof. M. Jutel indicated the problems in the performance of large scale multicentre phase III studies, which limit the perspective of the clinical application of many of the very promising novel strategies in immunotherapy. Prof. A. Muraro concluded that oral immunotherapy is an emerging approach in the treat-ment of IgE food allergy however the long term sustained tolerance as well as defined risk-benefit ratio remain the major issues. A large number of questions addressed measures to induce sustained allergen tolerance, methods of symptom medication score assessment as well as the con-comitant use of antihistamines dur-ing immunotherapy. ●

Marek JutelEAACI ExCom Member

EAACI at the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Boston

EAACI is Reaching Out to the WorldWorld Allergy Congress (WAC 2011)

types and Phenotypes of Allergy Diseases,” addressed important, timely topics relevant to asthma and food allergy. It was well attended by more than 250 participants, and generated very interesting discussions,” said Sami L. Bahna, MD, DrPH, past president of the ACAAI and Symposium Co-moderator. The EAACI has recently partnered with the ACAAI to provide discounted membership fees for dual member-ship. ●

Nikos Papadopoulos EAACI Secretary General

The strength of European science was very well reflected by the Euro-pean contributions to the WAO Con-gress scientific programme. EAACI has in fact contributed with both speakers and chairpersons in many different sessions, including Plenary Sessions, Symposia and Workshops, and with a significant number of original scientific abstract presenta-tions. The strong presence at the World Allergy Congress is only one of the examples of how EAACI is reaching out to the world. Specific collabora-tive efforts are being developed fur-ther to strengthen the allergy field globally. A major project under this aim is the International Collabora-tion in Asthma Allergy and Immu-nology (iCAALL) promoted together with the WAO, AAAAI and ACAAI, which is discussed separately in this issue of the EAACI Newsletter. ●

Jan Lötvall EAACI Past President

Ioana Agache EAACI Newsletter Editor

Allergy Schools2012

Asthma ExacerbationsRisk Factors and Management

2 – 5 August 2012Tallinn, Estonia

Food Allergy Training Course23 – 25 August 2012

Vienna, Austria

Specifi c Allergy and Immunotherapy15 – 17 November 2012

El Escorial, Spain

[email protected]

www.eaaci.net

AS 2012 Advert 130x130.indd 1 13.04.2012 16:47:37

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15May 2012 · Issue 27

EAACI Activities

EAACI International Outreach7th Georg Rajka Meeting and International Symposium for Atopic Dermatitis in Moshi, TanzaniaA PAPRICA-supported symposium was a highly appreciated contribution at the 7th Georg Rajka Meeting, which reunifies worldwide experts and researchers in the field of Atopic Der-matitis. It was organised for the very first time in Subsaharan Africa by EAACI ExCom Adjunct Member Peter Schmid-Grendelmeier with Kristian Thestup-Pedersen (Denmark), Johannes Ring (Germany) and the head of the Regional Dermatology Training Centre RDTC in Moshi, Elisante John E Masenga. Moshi is beautifully situated on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania. Speakers from four continents pre-sented 37 topics to more than 100 participants at a very stimulating meeting with an excellent scientific level, an enriching mutual exchange between continents and cultures, and a unique spirit. From the EAACI, Mübeccel and Cezmi Akdis, Roger Lauener, and Thomas Werfel gave highly appreciated insights into recent aspects of the pathophysiol-ogy of AD, while Nohrasco Mogandi and Fatema Thawer Esmail pre-sented equally interesting data on clinical and sensitisation patterns in AD cohorts of Tanzania and the Republic of South Africa. Presenta-tions on the role of infections from Amy Pallers (U.S.) and Elopy Sibanda (Zimbabwe) as well as new insights into the genetic aspects of AD from Alan Irvine (Ireland) and Kassandra Bilcha (Ethiopia) were among the many other highlights, as was Hen-ning Grossmann s exciting talk on the role of traditional healers in Tanzania.

Warmly hosted by the staff of the RDTC, the Congress evenings with African and Indian cuisine under the wonderful open sky contributed to a very stimulating event, both scientifi-cally and socially. Once again, PAPRICA was instru-mental in bringing knowledge about allergic diseases and exchange pos-sibility to a new region with limited resources and available expertise. ●

Peter Schmid-GrendelmeierEAACI Exam Committee Chair

49th Annual National Conference of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP)

India is not just a place.India is not just a people.

India is the celestial music,And inside that music

Anybody from any corner of the globe

Can find the real significance of life.

Sri Chimnoy (1944–2007)

EAACI participated in the 49th Annual National Conference of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), 18 – 22 January 2012, an event that attracted more than 6,000 pediatri-cians in Gurgaon, an industrial and financial centre 30 km south of Delhi. We organised a PAPRICA sympo-sium, in collaboration with the newly formed Allergy and Immunology chapter of the IAP, chaired by Dr H. Paramesh. We presented the EAACI and its activities and gave talks on Asthma Initiation and Genetics to an audience of about 200, followed by a panel discussion on allergic rhinitis.As interest in allergy as a discipline rapidly increases, in parallel with ris-ing morbidity in a population of 1.2 billion, India welcomes the EAACI’s outreach and calls for educational input, in line with the vision of our academy. ●

Ömer KalayciAsthma Section Board member

PAPRICAGoes to Africa and India

Allergy is not yet officially recog-nised as a specialty or subspecialty in India. Nevertheless, scientific societies, working for many years on different aspects of the disease, are actively promoting allergy educa-tion, as the prevalence of asthma and rhinitis apparently increases.In the last few months, the EAACI participated in two major Con-gresses in India. The 45th National Conference of the Indian College of Allergy, Asthma & Applied Immu-nology (ICAAAI), an EAACI affiliated society currently chaired by Prof. Ashok Shah, was held at Aurang-abad, 16 – 18 December 2011,

For the first time in the history of Allergy, the presidents of the three main societies, the EAACI, the AAAAI, and the WAO gave talks in the same scientific session during the 7th Rhinocamp Winter-Davos.Ruby Pawankar presented Mecha-nisms of allergic rhinitis and novel treatments, Cezmi Akdis presented Mechanisms of asthma and novel

Three Presidents Meet at a Summit:

7th Rhinocamp Winter-Davostreatments, and Dennis Ledford spoke about Anaphylaxis from bench to bedside.Cezmi Akdis, Cemal Cingi, and Peter Hellings were co-chairs of the 7th Rhinocamp Winter meeting that was held at Davos Congress Centre on 6-8 February 2012. The speakers and participants attended from Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland, Tur-key, and the U.S. ●

Cezmi AkdisEAACI President

Cemal CingiENT Section Secretary

EAACI at the ICAAAI in Aurangabad, India

attracting 450 delegates. High-lights of the meeting included work-shops on pulmonary function and allergy testing and a panel discus-sion on immunotherapy. The EAACI was received warmly in a full plenary session just before the opening event, where I gave a talk on Asthma Phenotypes. The social programme was delightfully exotic, with Indian dances and local delicacies, reflect-ing the diversity and richness of Indian culture. ●

Nikos PapadopoulosEAACI Secretary General

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16 May 2012 · Issue 27

EAACI Activities

Surrounded by gorgeous snow, we experienced a great scientific event that was highly appreciated by all young researchers at this year’s Immunology Winter School in Åre, Sweden, organized by Gunnar Nils-son and Edward Knol from the EAACI Immunology Section Board. The 10th anniversary of this unique meeting was celebrated in a specific way by giving a platform for both young researchers and highly renowned experts in the field to communicate, exchange thoughts, and generate new ideas. The opening keynote lecture was given by the initiator of the EAACI Winter Schools, current President of the EAACI, and a highly successful

scientist, Cezmi Akdis (Davos, Swit-zerland). He talked about the newest discoveries in immunotherapy, show-ing a clear and fast bench-to-bedside approach. Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren (Stockholm, Sweden) updated us about the functions and newly dis-covered features of NK cells, encour-aging everyone to start investigating the role of the lungs in asthma. Clau-dia Mauri (London, UK) presented her work in describing and discover-ing new functions of regulatory B cells, also showing clear connections with autoimmune diseases. Bart Lambrecht (Ghent, Belgium) gave us a tremendous overview of his work in the field of dendritic cells in allergy and asthma. Juan Rivera (Bethesda,

U.S.) showed his data about the immunological roles of mast cells and basophils and the signaling path-way of their FcεRI, and finally Laura Passerini (Milan, Italy) discussed promising work about regulatory T cell-based therapy. Once again, the participants had the chance to wit-ness the brightest and newest unpublished results, one of the rea-sons these meetings are so valuable. During the five oral abstract sessions and two poster sessions, all 66 par-ticipants were given the opportunity to present their work. Their data reflected the current hot topics in basic immunology and allergy as well as more translational and clinical approaches. All led to active discus-

sions, encouraging even the shyest participant to ask questions and share their experience. The friendly, supportive, and typically informal atmosphere of the meeting enabled networking that even transcended Facebook…The Winter School was held in the beautiful area of Åre, in the middle of the Scandinavian winter, and pro-vided opportunities to experience adventures including crashing into trees (unintentional…) with snow scooters, driving dog sledges in the middle of a blizzard, and skiing in the heavy Swedish snow, pausing only for a delicious lunch of elk burgers. Not to mention drinking beer in the sauna …Let’s count the days and see you at the next Winter School! ●

Milena SokolowskaEAACI JMA Working Group, Immunology Section Representative

Valerie Hox EAACI JMA Working GroupENT Section Representative

Immunology Winter School in Åre, Sweden 2012

The EAACI/GA²LEN Allergy School, titled From Skin to Lung – From The-ory to Patients, was organised by the EAACI Dermatology Section, Chil-dren’s Allergy & Asthma Hospital, Davos, CK-CARE, and took place in the impressive location of Davos, Switzer-land. The aim was to educate and stimulate scientific and social contact between young physicians from all over Europe interested in the diagno-sis and treatment of atopic dermatitis and atopic lung diseases. A total 65 participants (16 speakers and 49 par-ticipants) attended this school. In addition to the high-quality lectures given by the invited experts, 10 abstracts and posters were pre-sented.

The school started with a presentation by EAACI President Prof. Cesmi Akdis, titled Immunological Bases of Atopic Dermatitis and Asthma, as an intro-duction to all the main topics featured at this school. During the second day, lectures analysing atopic dermatitis were presented. Mubeccel Akdis, Stephan Weidinger, Johanes Ring, and Antonella Muraro gave an overview of current strategies for drug develop-ment and allergen-specific immuno-therapy, current knowledge about genetics, the role of an environment, food allergy, and the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Following this, each participant had the opportunity to practise performing skin-prick and prick-prick tests. Poster sessions,

organised after dinner, enabled par-ticipants to actively discuss their data with the keynote lecturers, EAACI Board members, and with each other.The following day was dedicated to asthma. Participants visited the Children’s Allergy & Asthma Hospital for a presentation on the bases of lung physiology and lung function testing. The final day of the school com-menced with a presentation by Andrea Heinzmann titled Asthma: the Impact of the Genes. Angela Simpson analysed environmental impact on the development of asthma and Oliver Fuchs presented basic concepts of successful asthma management and new treatment approaches. The con-cluding presentations were by Clive

E H Grattan on urticaria and by Ioana Agache on allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.In addition to the high-quality scien-tific programme, the afternoon hours were given over to winter sports, and many participants took advantage of the excellent conditions on the famous Davos slopes and enjoyed perfect weather. The memorable lecture by Ernst Rietschel, titled Immortal Music and Deadly Septicaemia – Deaths of Famous Composers by Bacterial Blood Poisoning, enriched with the sounds of famous musical composi-tions, engaged all attendees. On behalf of all the participants, I would like to thank the EAACI and the Local Organising Committee for their excel-lent organisation of a very successful meeting. ●

Indre ButieneOfficial Representative of EAACI Aerobiology and Pollution IGJunior Members and Affiliates Working Group

EAACI/GA²LEN Allergy SchoolFrom Skin to Lung – From Theory to Patients

29 March – 1 April 2012, Davos, Switzerland

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17May 2012 · Issue 27

EAACI Activities

EAACI at the Olympics 2012For many years, sports medicine was concerned chiefly with orthopedics and cardiology. Over the last two decades, however, this focus has been changing, and now the issue of asthma and allergy among competitive athletes has captured the attention not only of medical doctors but also of the general public.The Interest Group Allergy, Asthma & Sports (IGAAS) has been active within the EAACI for more than a decade, aiming to raise knowledge about asthma and allergy. In addition to organising sessions, meetings, and allergy schools, IGAAS members have been involved in the GA²LEN work package investigating allergy in 2008 Olympics participants. While publication is pending, prelimi-nary reports indicate that allergic athletes are widely underdiagnosed and undertreated. The epi-demiological surveys are carried out using the Allergy Questionnaire for Athletes (AQUA) designed by our current Chair.This year, the 2012 Olympics will be held in Lon-don, in what we expect will be a great success.. The initial hallmarks of raising awareness of athletes’ allergy and asthma can be seen already. Several teams will screen athletes for allergy and some IGAAS members are active in these issues in their countries. Everyone interested in allergy and sports issues – contact us and get involved! ●

Marcin KurowskiEAACI IG Allergy, Asthma & Sports Secretary

• Allergen Monitoring in Europe • Allergic child at school – implementation process• Allergic Contact Dermatitis in Children• Allergic Disease Registries Initiative• Allergy and Asthma Severity• Allergy Management in Primary Care• Anaphylaxis in children and adults – guideline development• Assessment of Cough in the Workplace• Asthma and Rhinitis in professional and domestic cleaning workers• Autoimmune Urticaria• Autoinflammatory syndromes in Allergology & Clinical Immunology• Clinical relevance of superantigens in IgE mediated disease• Conjunctival Provocation Test (CPT) in daily allergy practice• Contraindications in Specific Immunotherapy (SIT)• Cutaneous Mastocytosis, Indolent Systemic Mastocytosis• Desensitisation of drug allergies• Diagnosis and Management of Hypersensitivity to Non-steroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)• Diagnosis of work-related asthma (WRA)• Drug Allergy in Children• Drug hypersensitivity and mast cell disease/Mastocytosis• Epidemiological evidence on the links between aerotoxicicants and allergic diseases• European Drug Hypersensitivity Pass• European Pilot Survey on Systemic Adverse Reactions due to Specific Allergen Immunotherapy in real life setting• Exercise & lifestyle Interventions in Allergy and Asthma• Exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIAn)• Food Allergy clinical practice guidelines• Food Allergy Diagnosis, update EAACI position paper• Food Allergy due to immune Crossreactions with common inhalant allergens• Fungal Allergy and Asthma

EAACI Membership Survey – Influence the Future of our AcademyEAACI carried out an online survey among its members during the month of January. The feedback received from more than 800 members will help EAACI to optimise its activities and for the continuous improve-ment of our Academy.The survey gave very good results for all the activities organised by EAACI and showed up the high impact some of the resources have, such us the EAACI Website, the Newsletter or the Journals, Allergy and Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.Thank you very much to all of those who participated on this survey, for your com-ments and suggestions. Science and edu-cation are at the core of the EAACI and through your support, the Academy contin-ues to strengthen the speciality and posi-tively impact on patient lives. Thank you for influencing the future of our Academy.Check out the results of this survey on www.eaaci.net.

EAACI Task Forces• Genomic and Proteomic Approaches as Diagnosis Tools and Methods• Guideline development• Health Related Quality Of Life In Allergic Diseases• Hereditary Angioedema: Emergency Card and support guidelines• Histamine Intolerance• Identification of the cut-off point between adequately and inadequately controlled rhinoconjunctivitis/rhinitis using the Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire• IgE detection for Allergy Diagnosis• Immunophenotyping of chronic upper airways disease• Irritant-induced Occupational Asthma• MeDRA terminology for adverse reactions due to SIT• Monitoring of Occupational and Environmental Allergens• Multipollutant exposure• Pediatric Rhinitis • PRACTALL – Pediatric Asthma Management Guidelines• Prevention of allergic diseases• Prospective study of Adherence to Specific Immunotherapy in Europe• Quality of Life in food allergy• Recommendation for diagnosis of occupational type 1 allergy with the focus on skin prick testing• Regulatory Aspects of Food Allergy• Risk Assesment in Food Allergy, Labelling and Contamination• Self medication of anaphylactic reactions due to Hymenoptera Allergy• Semantic in Allergy Immunotherapy• Skin tests concentrations in drug allergy• Standardisation of Allergy-focused diet history• Standardisation of (Primary) Clinical Outcomes for Clinical Trials• Standards in Diagnosis and Management of Ocular Allergy Diseases• Sting Challenge Test in Hymenoptera Allergy• Treatment of asthma in sports – a position statement on current antidoping regulation

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18

Sections and Interest Groups

May 2012 · Issue 27

Activities of the EAACI Immunology SectionIn 2011, the Immunology section of the EAACI organized a postgradu-ate course on the first day of the EAACI Congress in Istanbul. Mem-bers of the Immunology Board pro-vided an excellent introduction of basic immunology to clinicians to improve their understanding of immunological processes that are essential for disease development, progress, and cure.

During the meeting in Istanbul, our Chairperson, Barbara Bohle (Aus-tria), stepped down after having served the Section as a board mem-ber for six years, including four years as Secretary and two years as Chairperson. In addition, our board member Philipp Stock (Germany) left the board. Edward Knol (the Netherlands) was elected Chairper-son. Three members were re-elected: Gunnar Nilsson (Sweden), Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann (Germany), and Carsten Schmidt-Weber (Ger-many), who will also serve as our secretary. We also welcomed three new members that were elected by electronic voting; Francesco Annun-ziato (Italy), Frode Jahnsen (Nor-way), and Liam O’Mahony (Switzer-land). We have again a very active team and we all are looking forward to serving as board members in our Section in the coming two years. To reach out to other scientific societ-ies in Europe, our board members were actively involved in organising and making presentations at com-

bined meetings such as the DGAKI in Wiesbaden Germany, EuroBAT in Peschiera del Garda in Italy, and the German/Italian Immunology Meet-ing in Riccione in Italy.

The year 2012 highlights the 10th anniversary of the EAACI Immunol-ogy Winter School. The Winter Schools were started by our current president Cezmi Akdis in Davos in 2001. The major goal of these meetings has always focused on basic Immunology research in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Excellent junior researchers are given the chance to directly interact and discuss their work with experts in the field and the faculty in a warm and relaxed atmosphere – be it while enjoying the snow or during the key-note sessions and poster sessions until late at night. The Immunology Section acknowledges the continu-ous financial support of the EAACI, which makes these meetings possi-ble. The 10th Winter School was spe-cial; for the first time it was held not in the Alps, but in the beautiful Swedish mountains of Åre. In addi-tion, the founder of the Winter School, Cezmi Akdis, was one of the keynote speakers. One of the juniors presenting in the first Winter School, Bart Lambrecht, now an established researcher in allergy and asthma, was also a keynote speaker. More details on the 10th Winter School can be found in the report by Milena Sokolowska and Valerie Hox in this EAACI Newsletter.

During our annual meeting in Geneva we will skip our postgradu-ate session, because of the compet-ing basic science symposium of the EAACI with the Swiss Society of Allergy and Immunology on 16 June. However, we have invited an excellent speaker for our Immunol-ogy Section business meeting. This year’s topic will be type 2 innate lymphoid cells and the presentation will be given by Jenny Mjösberg. We hope to meet many of the research-ers in Immunology at our business meeting.

To give further insight into the fasci-nating research area of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, our board will organise an EAACI friendship sym-posium on 7 September during the 2012 European Congress on Immu-nology in Glasgow, UK.

We are looking forward to an excit-ing 2012 in terms of novel scientific and clinical findings and warmly wel-come you all to attend our future activities! ●

On behalf of the EAACI Immunology Board,

Edward KnolEAACI IG Immunology SectionChairperson

JMA CORNER

Dear friends,

The 2012 Geneva Congress is approaching and several JMA-targeted activities are scheduled.

First of all, I’d like to remind you about the opportunity to test your knowledge by attending the 5th EAACI/UEMS Knowledge Exam in Allergology and Clinical Immunology, which will be held on the Saturday morning during the Congress. The same day, just after the Opening Ceremony, there will be the JMA Poster Session. Prizes for the best posters will be announced at the end of the session. The following day, JMA scientific achievements will be presented during the JMA Scientific Symposium and the JMA Case Reports session.

On Monday, all younger members may learn some tips on how to improve their professional career from some of the most influential seniors during the JMA Educational Session, while on Tuesday they are encouraged to share their opinions and make proposals to the JMA Working Group during the JMA Business Meeting ... right before the party starts!! Yes, the JMA Social Event is scheduled for Tuesday night.

As always, the EAACI will award free communication poster and abstract prizes at the end of theCongress.

Looking forward to seeing everybody in Geneva!

Enrico HefflerEAACI JMA Chair

INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS MEETING ON URTICARIA28 - 29 NOVEMBER 2012

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19

Ask the Expert

May 2012 · Issue 27

References:

1. Heffler E, et al. (2011) Clinical manifestations, co-sensitisations, and immunoblotting profiles of buckwheat- allergic patients. Allergy 66:264-270.2. Bauermeister K, et al. (2011) Generation of a comprehensive panel of crustacean allergens from the North Sea Shrimp Crangon crangon. Mol Immunol 48:1983-1992.3. Hoffmann-Sommergruber K, and Mills EN (2009) Food allergen protein families and their structural characteristics and application in component-resolved diagnosis: new data from the EuroPrevall project. Anal Bioanal Chem 395:25-35.4. Hoffmann-Sommergruber K, Mills EN, Vieths S (2008) Co-ordinated and standardised production, purification, and characterisation of natural and recombinant food allergens to establish a food allergen library. Mol Nutr Food Res 52 Suppl 2:S159-165.5. Ballmer-Weber BK, and Hoffmann- Sommergruber K (2011) Molecular diagnosis of fruit and vegetable allergy. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 11:229-235.6. Bublin M, et al. (2011) Component- resolved diagnosis of kiwifruit allergy with purified natural and recombinant kiwifruit allergens. J Allergy Clin Immunol 125:687-694, 694 e681.

Emerging Food Allergies Recent studies indicate that apple, hazelnut, walnut, peach, and peanut are the most frequent elicitors of allergic reactions in Europe followed by kiwifruit, tomato, and carrot. While food allergies to all sorts of tree nuts are well recognized, peanut allergy seems to be on the rise in Europe, as it is already in the U.S. The seed stor-age proteins from the prolamin and cupin superfamily primarily account for the sensitisation to peanut. How-ever, the range of clinical relevant cross-reactivity to tree nuts is still under debate.Buckwheat allergy represents another example of an emerging food allergy. While buckwheat flour is the main ingredient typical for Asian, Italian, and French dishes, its usage has spread as it partially replaces (e.g. genetically modified) wheat flour or is even used as a hidden ingredient [1]. In the context of the latex-fruit syndrome, hevein-like domains, hev-ein, and chitinases were regarded as the major cross-reactive allergens. Recent reports identified additional new allergens from manioc/cassava contributing to latex-food cross-reactivities. This root is well known for its starch content of interest for the food industry and for pharma-ceutical/drug formulation, and may pose an upcoming risk for patients with latex-fruit syndrome.Kiwifruit is regarded as a paradigm of

a novel food allergen source. Although ranked as an exotic fruit 30 years ago, it is now among the top 10 food allergen sources according to recent European studies. Kiwifruit allergy can be either due to mono-sensitisation or it is associated with grass and birch pollen allergy, or latex allergy.For shrimp allergy, tropomyosin is the major allergen with cross-reac-tivity to the tropomyosins from cock-roaches, mites, and molluscs. How-ever, only recently the panel of shrimp allergens has been expanded [2] and recent studies highlight an increasing number of shrimp allergic patients, especially in areas where seafood is a main dietary compo-nent.

Protein familiesAlthough the number of newly identi-fied food allergens is steadily increas-ing, the vast majority of those pro-teins can be assigned to a restricted number of protein families already known to contain allergens. The most important allergenic protein families from plant foods are the prolamin superfamily including the non-spe-cific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) and the 2S albumins, and the cupin superfamily with the 11S and 7S globulins, respectively. The panaller-gen profilin and the Bet v 1-related proteins are connected to pollen-

food cross-reactivity (See Table 1). Among the animal food allergens, parvalbumins, tropomyosins and the caseins followed by the ATP-gua-nido-phosphotransferases and the transferrins are the most impor-tant[3].

Component resolved diagnosis (CRD)In the past 15 years, great efforts have been made to identify, charac-terise, purify, and clone food aller-gens [4,5]. These highly pure mole-cules are now used for CRD, which increases the sensitivity of the test and allows the design of patient-tai-lored risk profiles. Recent progress has been made in applying the aller-gen array approach to well-defined patients’ collectives verified by dou-ble blind placebo controlled food challenges. For CRD of kiwifruit allergy, four specific marker allergens were identified out of the panel of 11 kiwifruit allergens. Sensitisation to actinidin, Act d 1, was related to kiwi-fruit monosensitisation without pol-len allergy. Furthermore, Act d 1 rep-resents a marker for an increased risk of developing more severe food allergic reactions. Whereas specific IgE to Act d 8 (PR10 protein) and Act d 9 (profilin) is clearly related to cross-sensitisation between pollen and fruit allergy with a reduced risk of developing severe symptoms [6]. This pilot study highlights the poten-tial of the CRD approach to increase sensitivity and specificity of the in vitro test. However, future efforts should be undertaken to assess the range of cross-reactivity and to iden-tify marker allergens for the most important food allergen sources. These data will clearly impact on the individualised management of the food allergic patient, including detailed dietary recommendations.Nevertheless, we still do not know what makes a dietary protein a food allergen and how the interaction between protein and food matrix affects the allergenic activity. For example, PR10 proteins usually evoke mild symptoms, while Gly m 4 from soybean induces severe food allergic reactions. The nsLTPs from peach and apple are responsible for

severe symptoms, whereas in kiwi-fruit the nsLTP seems to be less aller-genic. Therefore, detailed studies are needed to assess the allergenic activity of food allergens in different food matrices as well as after food processing treatments. These data will contribute to improved food safety and controlled allergen levels in foods. Finally, our knowledge on the uptake of (allergenic) food proteins across mucosal barriers and their presenta-tion to the immune system, including the interaction with the innate immune system, is limited. A better understanding of the specific uptake and processing of the food allergens will contribute to develop novel immunotherapies and to improve prevention strategies for the onset of severe food allergies. ●

Karin Hoffmann-Sommergruber Food Allergy IG Chairperson

Plant food allergens

Prolamin superfamily(ns LTP)

Prolamin superfamily(2S albumins)

Cupin superfamily (7/8S globulins)

Cupin superfamily (11S globulins)

Profilin

Bet v 1 related proteins (PR-10 family)

Animal food allergens

Tropomyosins

EF-hand domain (parvalbumins)

Caseins

ATP-guanido phosphotransferase

Transferrins

Molecular mass (kDa)

7-9

15-17

150-190

60

14

17

36-38

12

20-30

40

67-69

Function

Plant defence, transfer of lipids

Seed storage

Seed storage

Seed storage

Actin bindingregulatory protein

Plant defence, plant steroid carrier

Regulate muscle contraction

Ca2+ binding(muscle relaxation)

Ca2+ binding

Catalyse phosphate transfer

Iron transport

Allergens identified

All types of plant food

Nuts, seeds

Nuts, seeds, legumes

Peanut, tree nuts

All types of plant food

All types of plant food

Crustaceans, molluscs

Fish, amphibians

Cow, goat, sheep milk

Insects, crustaceans

Avian eggs, mammalian milk

Number of allergens identified

28

25

18

19

25

18

30

23

10

7

6

The most important plant and animal food allergens according to their frequency (source: entries in the allfam database (http://www.meduniwien.ac.at/allergens/allfam/; by February 2012)

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European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

16 – 20 June 2012 Geneva, Switzerland

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EAACI Congress 2012

At the Crossroads of Research, Practice and Education

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