Abstract
There are many unsolved questions in the field of pediatric allergy. Epidemiological study is one of the most important researches to promote our understanding. In this presentation we show some interesting data obtained from our recent epidemiological studies. 1) Prospective study of skin conditions in infancy on regular health check-ups at regional health centers in 3 cities in Japan revealed heterogeneous course of atopic dermatitis and several important risk factors related to development of atopic dermatitis. 2) Study of primary school children on genetic polymorphisms and environmental factors revealed gene-environment interaction related to serum total and mite-specific IgE levels. We would like to stress the importance of large-scale comprehensive cohort studies in Japan in order to understand mechanisms of development of allergic diseases in childhood.
