Allergic march: findings of Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology surveys

Abstract

The Epidemiology Committee and the Asthma Death Committee of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology have received an abundance of information from the members and their patients and have reported their findings at annual meetings as well as in the Japanese Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The Asthma Death Reports, conducted since 1990, are based on the registration and analysis of asthma deaths. The Asthma Severity Study, which has been in progress since 2006, has reported trends in asthma severity and treatment over time. These studies have identified Japanese trends in childhood asthma, and the findings are reflected in daily clinical use through their incorporation into the Japanese Pediatric Guidelines for Treatment and Management of Asthma. In the present article, I would like to review these surveys and consider the allergy march from its beginning following the onset of allergic disease.