Inhaled corticosteroids in early COVID-19 – a tale of many facetsLudger Klimek1, Cezmi A. Akdis2, Marek Jutel3, Torsten Zuberbier4, Jean Bousquet5-71. Center for Rhinology and Allergology, Wiesbaden, Germany.2. Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich - Christine Kühne - Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Davos, Switzerland.3. Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Wroclaw, ALL-MED Medical Research Institute, Wrocław, Poland.4. Clinic for Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.5. Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany6. Comprehensive Allergy Center, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany7. Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Montpellier, France

While the number and types of indoor air pollutants is rising, much is suspected but little is known about the impact of their potentially synergistic interactions, upon human health. Gases, particulate matter, organic compounds, but also allergens and viruses, fall within the ‘pollutant’ definition. Distinct populations, such as children and allergy and asthma sufferers are highly susceptible, while a low socioeconomic background is a further susceptibility factor; however, no specific guidance is available. We spend most of our time indoors; for children, the school environment is of paramount importance and potentially amenable to intervention. The interactions between some pollutant classes have been studied; for example, respiratory viral infection induces hyperresponsiveness to allergens, as well as irritants. However, a lot is missing in respect to understanding interactions between specific pollutants of different classes in terms of concentrations, timing, and sequence, to improve targeting and upgrade standards. SynAir-G is a European Commission-funded project aiming to reveal and quantify synergistic interactions between different pollutants affecting health, from mechanisms to real-life, focusing on the school setting. It will develop a comprehensive and responsive multipollutant monitoring system, advance environmentally friendly interventions, and disseminate the generated knowledge to relevant stakeholders in accessible and actionable formats.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps (CRSwNP/ CRSsNP) is an inflammatory disease affecting the nasal and sinus mucosal lining. Here, to further characterize this heterogeneous disease, we performed an extended endotyping of CRS using the nasal tissue from CRS-patients and a new approach of expression profiling of chemokines related to Th2-type cytokine IL-5. Methods: In this case-control study, we included 66 patients with CRS (CRSwNP n=26; CRSsNP n=40) diagnosed according to the EPOS 2020 criteria. The control group (n=25) consisted of CRS-free patients scheduled for inferior turbinate surgery. The concentration of following chemokines and cytokines was determined in tissue samples obtained during routine surgery from all subjects: TARC/ CCL17, PARC/ CCL18, eotaxin/ CCL11, MCP-3/ CCL7, MIP-1α/ CCL3, IP-10/ CXCL10, ENA-78/ CCL5, and IL-5. The analysis was performed by partition-based clustering. Results: In CRS tissues, the concentration of eotaxin, TARC, total IgE, IL-5, and ECP was significantly higher than in control (p<0.005). The analysis identified seven clusters. Cluster-1 was IL-5- and inflammatory chemokines-negative (11% CRSwNP). Cluster-2 had low IL-5 concentration and elevated MCP-3/CCL7 (100% CRSsNP). Clusters -3 and -4 expressed IP-10/CXCL10 (type-1-dominated), TARC/CCL17 and eotaxin/CCL11 (both type-2-dominated) (CRSwNP 13-31%). Clusters 5-7 had high concentration of IL-5, TARC/ CCL17, PARC/ CCL18, and eotaxin/CCL11 (type-2-dominated), NP 71-100%, asthma 19-50%, N-ERD 29%. Conclusions: Our chemokine expression-based extended analysis identified distinct CRS endotype clusters, possibly impacting future diagnosis, monitoring, and biologics-based treatment of CRS.

Background Biological therapies relieve symptoms in allergic and inflammatory diseases so may also benefit people with IgE-mediated food allergy. We systematically reviewed the highest quality published evidence to inform forthcoming GA 2LEN guidelines. Methods We searched six bibliographic databases from 1946 to 30 September 2021 for randomised controlled trials, controlled clinical trials and quasi-randomised trials about biological monotherapy in people with IgE-mediated food allergy confirmed by oral food challenge. We found 3 trials with 118 participants. We used the GRADE approach. We summarised the findings narratively because studies were too heterogeneous to conduct meta-analysis. Results We included one randomised trial about etokimab, one about omalizumab and one about the discontinued TNX-901. All were in people with peanut allergy in the USA, mostly aged 13+ years. There were trends towards improved tolerance of peanut during treatment, with no increase in adverse events compared to placebo. However, we have very low certainty about the evidence. No trial reported on quality of life or cost-effectiveness. Conclusions Our review of the highest quality research found that there is not yet enough certainty of evidence to support offering etokimab or omalizumab widely for food allergy. Clinicians may consider the merits for individuals, but large randomised trials with standardised measures need to confirm the safety and efficacy and the most suitable candidates, doses and durations of treatment.

Background: Although well described in adults, there are scarce and heterogeneous data on the diagnosis and management of chronic urticaria (CU) in children (0-18 years) throughout Europe. Our aim was to explore country differences and identify the extent to which the EAACI/GA²LEN/EDF/WAO guideline recommendations for paediatric urticaria are implemented. Methods: The EAACI Taskforce for paediatric CU disseminated an online clinical survey among EAACI paediatric section members. Members were asked to answer 35 multiple choice questions on current practices in their respective centres. Results: The survey was sent to 2,773 physicians of whom 358 (13.8%) responded, mainly paediatric allergists (80%) and paediatricians (49.7%), working in 69 countries. For diagnosis, Southern European countries used significantly more routine tests (e.g., autoimmune testing, allergological tests, and parasitic investigation) than Northern European countries. Most respondents (60.3%) used a 2nd generation antihistamine as first- line treatment of whom 64.8% up dosed as a second- line. Omalizumab, was used as a second line treatment by 1.7% and third-line by 20.7% of respondents. Most clinicians (65%) follow EAACI/WAO/GA2LEN/EDF guidelines when diagnosing CU, and only 7.3% follow no specific guidelines. Some clinicians prefer to follow national guidelines (18.4%, mainly Northern European) or the AAAAI practice parameter (1.7%). Conclusions: Even though most members of the Paediatric Section of EAACI are familiar with the EAACI/WAO/GA2LEN/EDF guidelines, a significant number do not follow them. Also, the large variation in diagnosis and treatment strengthens the need to re-evaluate, update and standardize guidelines on the diagnosis and management of CU in children.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine BNT162b2 received approval and within the first few days of public vaccination several severe anaphylaxis cases occurred. An investigation is taking place to understand the cases and their triggers. The vaccine will be administered to a large number of individuals worldwide and concerns raised for severe adverse events might occur. With the current information, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) states its position for the following preliminary recommendations that are to be revised as soon as more data emerges. To minimize the risk of severe allergic reactions in vaccinated individuals, it is urgently required to understand the specific nature of the reported severe allergic reactions, including the background medical history of the individuals affected and the mechanisms involved. To achieve this goal all clinical and laboratory information should be collected and reported. Mild and moderate allergic patients should not be excluded from the vaccine as the exclusion of all these patients from vaccination may have a significant impact on reaching the goal of population immunity. Health care practitioners vaccinating against COVID-19 are required to be sufficiently prepared to recognise and treat anaphylaxis properly with the ability to administer adrenaline. A mandatory observation period after vaccine administration of at least 15 minutes for all individuals should be followed. The current guidelines, which exclude patients with severe allergies from vaccination with BNT162b2, should be re-evaluated after more information and experience with the new vaccine develops.

Background: The practice of allergology varies widely between countries, and the costs and sales for the treatment of rhinitis differ depending on practices and health systems. To understand these differences and their implications, the rhinitis market was studied in some of the EU countries. Methods: We conducted a pharmaco-epidemiological database analysis to assess the medications that were prescribed for allergic rhinitis in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018. We used the IQVIA platforms for prescribed medicines (MIDAS® - Meaningful Integration of Data, Analytics and Services) and for OTC medicines (OTC International Market Tracking - OTCims). We selected the five most important markets in the EU (France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain). The UK was excluded due to a lack of data. Results: Intra-nasal decongestants were excluded from the analyses because they are not prescribed for allergic rhinitis. For both Standard Units (SU) and costs, France is leading the other countries. In terms of SU, the four other countries are similar. For costs, Poland is lower than the three others. However, medication use differs largely. For 2018, in SU, intra-nasal corticosteroid is the first treatment in Poland (70.0%), France (51.3%), Spain (51.1%) and Germany (50.3%) whereas the Italian market is dominated by systemic anti-histamines (41.4%) followed by intra-nasal corticosteroids (30.1%). Results of other years were similar. Discussion: There are major differences between countries in terms of rhino-conjunctivitis medication usage.

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage were associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-Cov-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance, lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block the AT1R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.

To the Editor, The fermentation process, born as a preservation method in the Neolithic age, enabled humans to eat not-so-fresh food and to survive.1 Fermented foods are “foods or beverages made via controlled microbial growth (including lactic acid bacteria (LAB)) and enzymatic conversions of food components.” 2 Not all fermented foods contain live cultures, as some undergo further processing after fermentation: pasteurization, smoking, baking, or filtration. These processes kill or remove the live microorganisms in foods such as soy sauces, bread, most beers and wines as well as chocolate. Live cultures can be found in fermented vegetables and fermented milk (fermented sour milk, yoghurt, probiotics, …). The westernized diet is lacking many traditional fermented foods.3The gut microbiota has an inter-individual variability due to genetic predisposition and diet 3. Some foods like cabbage can be fermented by the gut microbiota. 4 The westernized diet has been associated with changes in the gut microbiome.5In this Rostrum, we consider loss of food fermentation either as a reduction of fermented food consumption in the diet or as a change in the microbiome leading to a reduction of fermentation of foods in the gut. This paper is based on the hypothesis that diet may partly explain differences in COVID-19 death rates within and between countries.6

To the Editor, A COVID-19 epidemic started in China and then disseminated to other Asian countries before becoming a pandemic. It appears that the pandemic has so far resulted in proportionately fewer deaths in China and most Eastern Asian countries. Many reasons can explain this picture.1 One of them is the type of diet in the low mortality countries. 2This paper is the sixth of a series attempting to understand the role of diet in the differences of COVID-19 death rates between and within countries with the aim to identify potential preventive measures against COVID-19. The concept paper 2 was followed by two ecological studies comparing death rates in European countries and the consumption of vegetables or fermented foods. 3,4 We then proposed that sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables1 and lactobacilli from fermented foods (submitted) were possibly involved in the reduction of insulin resistance in COVID-19.It is noteworthy that fermented foods are largely used in Asia.5,6 It is therefore important to check whether some commonly eaten fermented foods in these countries may explain geographic differences in COVID-19. Kimchi will be used as a model of fermented cabbage.

To the Editor, Sulforaphane [1-isothiocyanato-4-(methylsulfinyl)butane] is a clinically relevant nutraceutical compound present in cruciferous vegetables (Brassicaceae). It is used for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and may be involved in ageing.1Along with other natural nutrients, sulforaphane has been suggested to have a therapeutic value for the treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).2 Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate stored in its inactive form glucoraphanin.3 The enzyme myrosinase, found in plant tissue and in the gut microbiome, is involved in the conversion of glucoraphanin to its active form sulforaphane.4