Development of atopic march and co-occurrence of allergic
diseases
One-third of the subjects developed at least two types of atopic
manifestations at the age of 30 months. This included 25% who developed
two types of atopic manifestations (AD+FA, AD+rhinitis, AD+wheezing,
FA+rhinitis, FA+wheezing, wheezing+rhinitis), 5% who developed three
types of atopic manifestations (AD+wheezing+rhinitis, AD+FA+wheezing,
AD+FA+rhinitis), and less than 1 percent (0.9%) who developed all 4
atopic manifestations (AD+FA+wheezing+rhinitis). Sixty percent of
subjects with AD and 85% of subjects with FA developed other atopic
diseases. Only 9% of the subjects with wheezing and 9% of subjects
with rhinitis had other preceeding atopic phenotypes, either AD or FA.
These numbers are demonstrated in Figure 1A.
Besides, our cohort found a strong association between allergic
diseases. Subjects with FA had an increased risk of having AD with a
hazard ratio (HR) of 6.5 (95%CI, 3.2-13.06; p<0.0001 )
while subjects with AD also had 8.5 folds increased risk of having FA;
HR=8.51 (95%CI, 3.52-20.56; p<0.0001 ). Having rhinitis
before 12 months of age associated with having FA, with HR of 5.53
(95%CI, 1.01-30.46; p=0.049 ). Allergic rhinitis also
significantly associated with ever-wheezing with OR of 3.56 (95%CI,
1.01-12.56; p=0.049 ).