Epidemiologic studies on allergic diseases among rural and urban school children in Poland

451 rural children (group I) and 2000 urban children (group II) aged 10-16 years from Toruń province were inquired by a questionnaire to their parents or guardians. 9.09% of children in the country and 13.45% of those living in the city of Toruń suffered from hypersensitivity disorders; bronchial asthma was reported in 2.22% and 3.05% of cases, allergic rhinitis--in 3.77% and 7.15%, allergic conjunctivitis--in 1.33% and 2.75%, allergic edema--in 0.44% and 0.60%, urticaria--in 1.55% and 3.50%, and infantile eczema--in 0.44% and 2.10% of cases, respectively. The pollinosis prevalence rate was 2.00% in group I and 1.85% in group II. At least 2 various forms of hypersensitivity coexisted in 30.48% of allergic urban children (64.86% of patients with pollinosis among them); infantile eczema preceded allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma symptoms in 6.29% and 11.47% of cases, respectively, while allergic rhinitis occurred before the onset of bronchial asthma in 24.59% of asthmatic children. 37.10% of individuals with positive family history of allergic conditions also fell ill with some diseases of this nature, while in those with negative family history allergy occurred only in 10.22% of cases. From environmental factors mother's diseases during pregnancy, bottle feeding and a regular diet during the first year of life, frequent respiratory infections in the early childhood and poor living conditions increased the risk of allergic diseases or aggravated their course in the population examined.     

Air pollution and allergic airway diseases

In the last decades, many studies have shown an increase in the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and asthma mainly in urban communities, especially in industrialized countries. Airborne pollutants such as diesel exhaust particles, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide have been implicated in the initiation and exacerbation of allergic airway diseases. Epidemiologic studies have shown clear associations between air pollution and allergic diseases, in vivo and in vitro studies have provided biologic link and potential molecular mechanisms. Particulate and gaseous pollutants can act both on the upper and lower airways to initiate and exacerbate cellular inflammation through interaction with the innate immune system. As a consequence, increased non-specific airway hyper-responsiveness and airway resistance have been observed in man. Diesel exhaust particles can both induce and exacerbate in vivo allergic responses. They can also modify the immune system's handling of the allergen. The effects of gaseous pollutants on immune responses to allergens are not fully understood. We review the different mechanisms involved in the enhancement of allergic inflammation by urban air pollutants, including effects on cytokine and chemokine production, as well as activation of different immune cells. We discuss the hypothesis that pollutants' effects on the immune system involve hierarchical oxidative stress. Susceptibility genes to air pollution inducing allergic diseases are also discussed.     

Regional features of sensitization of children to some noninfectious allergens

The results of epidemiological investigations within the frames of the ISAAC program are presented. Out of 2,870 children, 172 children (6.0%) with sensitization to some noninfectious (insect, pollen, medicinal) allergens were detected. The number of allergic children was found to be 10.4 +/- 1.8 to 28.2 +/- 3.0 per 1000 of urban child population. Specific features of the sensitization of urban children to regional insect, pollen and medicinal allergens were established. The clinical course of allergic diseases in children was characterized by polymorphism and a great variety of clinical symptoms with frequent lesions of the gastrointestinal tract and functional disturbances of the central nervous system, which adversely affected the school studies of children and the quality of their life. In the development of allergy in children such factors of risk as hereditary predisposition to allergy, allergic diathesis, focal infections and artificial feeding during the first year of life were also of great importance.     

On the interrelationship between outdoor air pollution and respiratory allergy

Respiratory allergic diseases appear to be increasingin both prevalence and severity in most countries, andsubjects living in urban and industrialized areas aremore likely to have respiratory allergic symptoms thanthose living in rural areas. This increase has beenlinked, among various factors, to air pollution and tothe westernized lifestyle. In the outdoor environment,the most important air pollutants are sulphur dioxide,nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulate matter.Particulate diesel exhaust emissions, besides actingas irritant, are thought to modulate the immuneresponse, with an adjuvant activity on IgE synthesis,thereby facilitating allergic sensitization inpredisposed subjects. In other words, atopic statecan be upregulated by environmental influences, andsome subjects develop atopic disease in response tothese environmental factors when they are inhaled incombination with aeroallergens. Moreover, airpollutants produce greater responses in asthmaticsubjects. Since airborne pollen allergens and airpollutants are often increased contemporaneously, anenhanced IgE-mediated response to aeroallergens andenhanced airway inflammation could account for theincreasing frequency of allergic respiratory diseases,in particular those induced by pollen allergens, inurban areas.     

Prevalence of Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis among Adults in Yaounde,Cameroon

Background

Population-based estimates of asthma and allergic rhinitis in sub-Saharan African adults are lacking. We assessed the prevalence and determinants of asthma and allergic rhinitis in urban adult Cameroonians.

Methods

A community-based survey was conducted from December 2013 to April 2014 among adults aged 19 years and above (N = 2,304, 57.3% women), selected through multilevel stratified random sampling across all districts of Yaounde (Capital city). Internationally validated questionnaires were used to investigate the presence of allergic diseases. Logistic regressions were employed to investigate the determinants of allergic conditions.

Results

Prevalence rates were 2.7% (95% CI: 2.1-3.4) for asthma-ever, 6.9% (5.9-7.9) for lifetime wheezing, 2.9% (92.2-3.6) for current wheezing and 11.4% (10.1-12.7) for self-reported lifetime allergic rhinitis; while 240 (10.4%) participants reported current symptoms of allergic rhinitis, and 125 (5.4%) had allergic rhino-conjunctivitis. The prevalence of current asthma medication use and self-reported asthma attack was 0.8 (0.4-1.2) and 1 (0.6-1.4) respectively. Multivariable adjusted determinants of current wheezing were signs of atopic eczema [2.91 (1.09-7.74)] and signs of allergic rhinitis [3.24 (1.83-5.71)]. Age group 31-40 years [0.27(0.09-0.78), p = 0.016] was an independent protective factor for wheezing. Determinants of current rhinitis symptoms were active smoking [2.20 (1.37-3.54), p<0.001], signs of atopic eczema [2.84 (1.48-5.46)] and current wheezing [3.02 (1.70-5.39)].

Conclusion

Prevalence rates for asthma and allergic rhinitis among adults in this population were at the lower tails of those reported in other regions of the world. Beside the classical interrelation between allergic diseases found in this study, active smoking was an independent determinant of allergic rhinitis symptoms. Nationwide surveys are needed to investigate regional variations.     

Incidence of allergic rhinitis in general practice, 1981-92.

OBJECTIVES--To determine the epidemiology of hay fever and to consider the role of pollution. DESIGN--Examination of data on weekly incidence of allergic rhinitis and hay fever by age, sex, region, and location. SETTING--Royal College of General Practitioners Weekly Returns Service. Practice data were based on registered populations of 220,000 in 1981, rising to 700,000 in 1992 from England and Wales. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Numbers of new cases of hay fever and allergic rhinitis. Data on pollen counts for Darlington, Derby, and London. RESULTS--The incidence of allergic rhinitis fluctuated greatly from year to year but showed no trend. Peaks in hay fever coincided with peak pollen counts. No important differences were found between urban and rural locations or different parts of the country with respect to both size and timing of the peaks. Incidence was highest in children (5-14 years). CONCLUSIONS--The similarity of the results throughout England and Wales does not support an important role for local pollutants in hay fever. However, the possibility that levels of pollutants are high enough to act as an adjuvant in hay fever across the whole study area has not been excluded.     

Urban allergophytes of central Italy

This research was designed to compare allergenic flora of various cities of central Italy. Because the data on this problem are rather scant, we wanted to highlight the relationships among the ecological conditions of the urban habitats, and the plants whose pollens cause allergic manifestations in the human population. Our results pointed out that the structural design of the urban land use types play an important role in the distribution of allergophytes. The compact structure of the historic city center does not impede the establishment of allergophytes. Actually, it promotes some species that come from the dry pastures and rocky walls of the surrounding ecosystems. Allergenicity was revealed throughout the urban area, with a prevalence of species with monoporate pollens characteristic of the Poaceae. Highly allergenic plants are present in the central zone (within the city walls) and in some peripheral land use models (urban road verges). The particular abundance of Urticaceae with small triporate pollen grains and of various cultivated species, introduced by man for aesthetic reasons, contributes to the increase of allergophytism. The study points out the role of the interactions between the allergenic flora, human impact through the land use patterns, urban fauna, and the meso- and microclimatic conditions of the cities studied.     

Distribution pattern of allergenic plants in the Beijing metropolitan region

Urbanization has significantly affected the composition and distribution pattern of plant species within and around cities. Plants with airborne pollens can cause seasonal allergic symptoms that are intensified by increasing air pollution and temperature. In urban landscapes, the reduced native biodiversity, increased exotic biodiversity, and species homogenization may all affect the abundance and distribution of allergenic plants. We investigated the plants with airborne pollens in the Beijing metropolitan region to determine the distribution pattern of allergenic plants as influenced by urbanization. Our results show that native allergenic plants dominated the urban area in the region. The species richness of allergenic plants, particularly the exotic plants with airborne pollens, significantly differed between land use types. The higher the plant diversity in the urban area, the higher the frequency of allergenic plant occurrence. Despite the homogenization of the allergenic plant communities, their characteristic species were still present across the metropolitan region. The flowering allergenic plants also differed between the different land use types. We suggest that some common allergenic plants should be avoided by urban planners, especially those that are exotic to the region. Humans susceptible to pollinosis should stay away from places that are concentrated with allergenic plants, and be aware of the flowering phenology of allergenic plants.     

Pet ownership and associated respiratory diseases

Background Studies have shown that pets are very important sensitizing agents in patients with asthma. Respiratory disorders and allergic diseases are common in the State of Qatar. Objective The aim of the present study was to determine whether exposure to pets and domestic animals plays a significant role in the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis among Qatari school children aged 6–14 years. Design A cross-sectional prospective study. Setting Public schools for boys and girls in urban and semi-urban areas. Subjects A total of 3,500 Qatari school boys and girls aged 6–14 years were approached. After exclusion of those who did not give consent for the study and incomplete questionnaires, 3,283 (98.3%) participants were included in the data analysis. Methods A multistage sampling technique was used and different schools from urban and semi-urban areas were selected. A standard questionnaire was distributed to parents of randomly selected school children aged 6–14 years between February 2003 and February 2004. Results The overall prevalence of asthma was 19.8% and the mean age of the children was 9.0 ± 2.0 years. The male and female percentages were 52.3% and 47.7% respectively. Nine hundred and ninety-six families out of 3,283 (30.3%) owned pets. It was found that among children with no family history of asthma, the relative risk (RR) of asthma with pets at home was 1.19 and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.0–1.4 (P = 0.025). The RR of having allergic rhinitis was 1.60 (95% CI = 1.4–1.8; P < 0.001) and risk of having eczema was also significantly higher in participants with pets at home (RR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.1–1.5; P < 0.001). Conclusion In the present study, the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema was significantly more common in families with domestic animals than in those without.     

Smoking particles enhance endothelin A and endothelin B receptor-mediated contractions by enhancing translation in rat bronchi

Background

The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases has increased in industrialised countries, and it is known that rates vary according whether the area is urban or rural and to socio-economic status. Surveys conducted in some urban settings in Latin America found high prevalence rates, only exceeded by the rates observed in industrialised English-speaking countries. It is likely that the marked changes in the environment, life style and living conditions in Latin America are responsible for these observations. The understanding of the epidemiological and immunological changes that underlie the increase in asthma and allergic diseases in Latin America aimed by SCAALA studies in Brazil and Ecuador will be crucial for the identification of novel preventive interventions.

Methods/Design

The Salvador-SCAALA project described here is a longitudinal study involving children aged 4–11 years living in the city of Salvador, Northeastern Brazil. Data on asthma and allergic diseases (rhinitis and eczema) and potential risk factors will be collected in successive surveys using standardised questionnaire. This will be completed with data on dust collection (to dust mite and endotoxin), skin test to most common allergens, stool examinations to helminth and parasites, blood samples (to infection, total and specific IgE, and immunological makers), formaldehyde, physical inspection to diagnoses of eczema, and anthropometric measures. Data on earlier exposures when these children were 0–3 years old are available from a different project.

Discussion

It is expected that knowledge generated may help identify public health interventions that may enable countries in LA to enjoy the benefits of a "modern" lifestyle while avoiding – or minimising – increases in morbidity caused by asthma and allergies.     

The Urban Environment and Childhood Asthma (URECA) birth cohort study: design, methods, and study population

Background

The incidence and morbidity of wheezing illnesses and childhood asthma is especially high in poor urban areas. This paper describes the study design, methods, and population of the Urban Environment and Childhood Asthma (URECA) study, which was established to investigate the immunologic causes of asthma among inner-city children.

Methods and Results

URECA is an observational prospective study that enrolled pregnant women in central urban areas of Baltimore, Boston, New York City, and St. Louis and is following their offspring from birth through age 7 years. The birth cohort consists of 560 inner-city children who have at least one parent with an allergic disease or asthma, and all families live in areas in which at least 20% of the population has incomes below the poverty line. In addition, 49 inner-city children with no parental history of allergies or asthma were enrolled. The primary hypothesis is that specific urban exposures in early life promote a unique pattern of immune development (impaired antiviral and increased Th2 responses) that increases the risk of recurrent wheezing and allergic sensitization in early childhood, and of asthma by age 7 years. To track immune development, cytokine responses of blood mononuclear cells stimulated ex vivo are measured at birth and then annually. Environmental assessments include allergen and endotoxin levels in house dust, pre- and postnatal maternal stress, and indoor air nicotine and nitrogen dioxide. Nasal mucous samples are collected from the children during respiratory illnesses and analyzed for respiratory viruses. The complex interactions between environmental exposures and immune development will be assessed with respect to recurrent wheeze at age 3 years and asthma at age 7 years.

Conclusion

The overall goal of the URECA study is to develop a better understanding of how specific urban exposures affect immune development to promote wheezing illnesses and asthma.     

Changes to airborne pollen counts across Europe

A progressive global increase in the burden of allergic diseases has affected the industrialized world over the last half century and has been reported in the literature. The clinical evidence reveals a general increase in both incidence and prevalence of respiratory diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (common hay fever) and asthma. Such phenomena may be related not only to air pollution and changes in lifestyle, but also to an actual increase in airborne quantities of allergenic pollen. Experimental enhancements of carbon dioxide (CO[Formula: see text]) have demonstrated changes in pollen amount and allergenicity, but this has rarely been shown in the wider environment. The present analysis of a continental-scale pollen data set reveals an increasing trend in the yearly amount of airborne pollen for many taxa in Europe, which is more pronounced in urban than semi-rural/rural areas. Climate change may contribute to these changes, however increased temperatures do not appear to be a major influencing factor. Instead, we suggest the anthropogenic rise of atmospheric CO[Formula: see text] levels may be influential.     

Effects of Air Pollution and the Introduction of the London Low Emission Zone on the Prevalence of Respiratory and Allergic Symptoms in Schoolchildren in East London: A Sequential Cross-Sectional Study

The adverse effects of traffic-related air pollution on children’s respiratory health have been widely reported, but few studies have evaluated the impact of traffic-control policies designed to reduce urban air pollution. We assessed associations between traffic-related air pollutants and respiratory/allergic symptoms amongst 8–9 year-old schoolchildren living within the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ). Information on respiratory/allergic symptoms was obtained using a parent-completed questionnaire and linked to modelled annual air pollutant concentrations based on the residential address of each child, using a multivariable mixed effects logistic regression analysis. Exposure to traffic-related air pollutants was associated with current rhinitis: NOx (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.02), NO₂ (1.03, 1.00–1.06), PM₁₀ (1.16, 1.04–1.28) and PM_2.5 (1.38, 1.08–1.78), all per μg/m³ of pollutant, but not with other respiratory/allergic symptoms. The LEZ did not reduce ambient air pollution levels, or affect the prevalence of respiratory/allergic symptoms over the period studied. These data confirm the previous association between traffic-related air pollutant exposures and symptoms of current rhinitis. Importantly, the London LEZ has not significantly improved air quality within the city, or the respiratory health of the resident population in its first three years of operation. This highlights the need for more robust measures to reduce traffic emissions.     

Concentration of IgE in children during ragweed pollination season

Genetic and environmental factors are responsible for running allergic diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the values of total- (t-IgE) and allergen-specific IgE (s-IgE) to Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (Amb a) in children with sensitization to Amb a during ragweed pollination season, who experienced seasonal symptoms of allergic rhinitis (rhinorrhea, post-nasal drip, nasal congestion, itching, sneezing) and asthma (coughing, especially at night, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness). Ragweed pollen grains were collected in Virovitica (rural area) and Zagreb (urban area)—cities with the same geographical width and elevation—during ragweed pollination seasons (July–October in 2006 and 2007), and their count was estimated. Concentration of t-IgE and s-IgE in pollination season was determined in serum of children with symptoms of allergic diseases. The total count of ragweed pollen grains (PG) differed significantly between Virovitica and Zagreb in both years, 2006. and 2007. In Virovitica it was significantly greater than in Zagreb. There was no statistically significant seasonal difference in both, t-IgE and s-IgE, respectively. No correlation was found between pollen grain count and the concentration of IgE’s. To clarify the induction of IgE synthesis in children with sensitization to Amb a, further studies are needed.     

城市社区尺度花粉致敏风险评估方法研究进展

目前,花粉过敏性疾病在国内外城市中均具有较高发病率。作为城市居民生活的基本单元,社区对居民健康有重要的影响。因此,社区尺度的花粉致敏风险评估研究是提升居民健康的重要抓手。鉴于此,研究从花粉产生的植物本体角度和影响花粉传播的空间环境角度系统地综述了影响社区花粉致敏风险的相关因素,并进一步梳理了花粉致敏风险的评估方法。研究发现:在空间尺度上,目前国内外评估花粉致敏风险相关方法主要应用于微观的植物尺度与宏观的城市尺度,在中观尺度的应用仅局限于校园、公园中的绿地,尚未对社区进行研究;在评估因素上,现有评估方法多关注植物自身因素,如树木高度、冠幅等因素,而较少涉及诸如通风、温湿度等环境因素;然而社区中环境条件复杂,建筑环境不容忽视,因此了解植物与环境的综合作用对于社区花粉致敏风险的评估至关重要。基于上述发现,提出未来建立适宜社区尺度的致敏评估方法的可能途径:首先应建立适用于评估社区常用植物的统一标准数据集,在综合考虑植物因子、社区环境因子和临床患病率等各类因子的基础上建立社区花粉致敏风险评估方法,还可利用可视化技术建立包含社区三维特征的模型来模拟社区花粉分布及扩散规律,确立社区尺度下花粉致敏风险评估方法,降低社区花粉致病率,进一步提升居民健康水平。     

顺尔宁对变应性鼻炎患者血清肺表面活性蛋白A、D动态水平影响及近 期疗效观察

目的:探讨顺尔宁对变应性鼻炎患者体内肺表面活性蛋白A、D水平的影响及近期疗效观察。方法:纳入的变应性鼻炎患者分成单纯变应性鼻炎患者组不伴哮喘组106例,变应性鼻炎伴哮喘患者组75例,健康成人组20例作为实验对照组。连续应用顺尔宁8周后,统计患者鼻部总体症状评分,以及血清SP-A、SP-D水平的动态变化情况。结果:单纯变应性鼻炎组、变应性鼻炎伴哮喘组患者治疗4周后、8周后与治疗前比较,鼻部总体症状评分均明显降低,差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05)。治疗4周后,单纯变应性鼻炎组、变应性鼻炎伴哮喘组患者血清SP-A、D水平较治疗前,差异无统计学意义(均P0.05);治疗8周后,单纯变应性鼻炎组、变应性鼻炎伴哮喘组患者血清SP-A、D水平较治疗前明显下降(均P0.05)。结论:顺尔宁可影响变应性鼻炎患者体内SP-A、SP-D水平,改善鼻部不适的症状。     

儿童过敏性结膜炎与变应性鼻炎的相关性及鼻眼联合防治效果分析

目的：探讨儿童过敏性结膜炎与变应性鼻炎的相关性研究及鼻眼联合防治的临床效果。方法：回顾性分析300 例儿童过敏性 结膜炎与310 例儿童变应性鼻炎患者的临床资料,对儿童过敏性结膜炎与变应性鼻炎的相关性进行分析后将所有患儿随机均分 为对照组与观察组,对照组采用常规点眼的方法进行治疗,观察组则采用鼻朗喷鼻联合人工泪液点眼进行治疗。比较两组临床疗 效及不良反应情况。结果：（1）300 例过敏性结膜炎患儿中,50 例（16.67%）并发变应性鼻炎;310 例变应性鼻炎患儿中,59 例 （19.03%）并发过敏性结膜炎（P＞0.05）;（2）109 例同时并发两种疾病患儿中,均进行眼结膜与鼻粘膜的刮片检查嗜酸性粒细胞, 其中60 例（55.05%）结膜刮片与67 例（61.47%）鼻粘膜刮片检测到嗜酸性粒细胞（P＞0.05）;（3）两组治疗前后BUT 及角膜荧光素 染色评分、症状评分、临床总有效率比较差异明显（P＜0.05）。结论：儿童过敏性结膜炎与变应性鼻炎具有一定的相关性;鼻朗喷鼻 联合人工泪液点眼治疗儿童合并变应性鼻炎的临床疗效显著。     

TONSILLECTOMY IN THE ALLERGIC CHILD

Edema is the chief factor in enlargement of tonsils of children with allergic disease.In the absence of infection tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are contraindicated in the allergic child except when obstruction is present.Infection produces one of two distinct patterns when it influences allergic states, the pattern depending upon the nature of the infectious disease.Chronic infection of the upper respiratory tract in the allergic child produces a pattern simulating that of acute respiratory infection.If, in the presence of infected tonsils and adenoids, management of the allergic state does not produce results, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are indicated. Management of the allergic disease must be continued postoperatively.Whether infection is present or absent, allergic disease can be controlled only through competent management of it.     

Blood-sucking ticks (Acarina,Ixodoidea) as an essential component of the urban environment

The problem of urban ticks has arisen from the increased rate of urbanization since WWII. Expansion of municipal boundaries encompasses adjacent territories, so that large areas of wilderness together with all their inhabitants get incorporated into city limits. Current strategies of biodiversity conservation include the creation of green corridors and other forms of connectivity between wilderness and urban areas as well as between green patches within cities. All this allows various mammals and birds to migrate from their native habitats into and between various parts of the cities and to establish permanent urban populations. Medium-sized and larger animals provide adult ticks with blood meal, thus creating suitable conditions for the establishment and persistence of tick populations. Independent tick populations can exist in urban forests, parks, private properties, old cemeteries, etc. Over the last decades, the tick populations that originated from those in natural habitats around the cities have become a permanent component of urban fauna. Among such ticks, the castor bean tick Ixodes ricinus is the most important species for European cities, while the deer tick I. scapularis is of great significance for the East Coast of the United States. The taiga tick I. persulcatus is the most important species for the Russian cities and towns within its range. All these and some other ticks aggressively attack humans and their pets inside cities. The tick species especially well adapted to urban life are those which can live and reproduce in buildings. The brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (family Ixodidae), the pigeon ticks from the reflexus group of the genus Argas, and Ornithodoros ticks (family Argasidae), which form urban and semi-urban populations, are the main urban tick pests and vectors. House infestation by ticks can lead to human infection with tick-borne pathogens or severe allergic reactions. Some tick hosts, mammals as well as birds, maintain tick-transmitted pathogens and serve as competent reservoir hosts. Urban populations of these animals can participate in the circulation of some pathogens within cities. Thus, the enlargement of urban green areas followed by their population by wild mammals and birds create good opportunities for the establishment of urban populations of tick vectors with the resulting threat to the health of urban dwellers and their pets. At the same time, our understanding of the real scope and complexity of the problem of urban ticks is far from being sufficient. Finding the ways of protecting the environment without increasing the risk to human health in modern cities is a pressing and challenging problem of our time.     

Cyclooxygenase inhibition during allergic sensitization increases STAT6-independent primary and memory Th2 responses

Immune sensitization and memory generation are required for the development of allergic inflammation. Our previous studies demonstrate that the cyclooxygenase (COX) metabolic pathway is actively involved in allergic responses and COX inhibition increases allergic airway inflammation in a STAT6-independent fashion. To test the hypothesis that COX inhibition augments allergic inflammation by enhancing immune sensitization and memory, we sensitized STAT6 knockout mice with an i.p. injection of OVA with aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant and treated the mice with the COX inhibitor indomethacin or vehicle for analyses of the primary and memory immune responses. We found that COX inhibition during immune sensitization, but not the allergic challenge phase, was necessary and sufficient to increase allergic inflammation. COX inhibition during sensitization increased the numbers of mature dendritic cells and activated CD4 T cells in the spleen and augmented OVA-specific IL-5 and IL-13 responses of the splenic CD4 T cells at day 5 after sensitization. COX inhibition during sensitization also augmented allergic Th2 response to OVA challenge 90 days after the sensitization. Therefore, COX inhibition during allergic sensitization augments allergic responses by enhancing Th2 cell activation and memory generation and the proallergic effect is STAT6-independent. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the increased allergic inflammation previously shown in the mice treated with COX inhibitors and in COX-deficient mice and suggest that use of COX-inhibiting drugs during initial allergen exposure may increase the risk of developing allergic responses.