Association Between Food Allergy Status and Atopic Dermatitis Control and Persistence: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Pediatric Eczema Elective Registry

Pediatr Dermatol. 2024 Dec 10. doi: 10.1111/pde.15845. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) and food allergies (FA) are closely linked manifestations of atopic disease, sharing immunological pathways that contribute to their chronicity and mutual exacerbation. However, the long-term impact of FA on AD remains incompletely understood. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed 8015 children from the Pediatric Eczema Elective Registry (PEER), exploring the relationship between FA status as an exposure and AD control as an outcome at enrollment, as well as AD persistence as another outcome over 10 years. Our results indicate that at enrollment, children with any FA had significantly higher odds of having uncontrolled AD, and over the course of 10 years, they were more likely to experience persistent AD compared to those without any FA. These associations were particularly pronounced in subgroup analyses of milk, egg, and peanut allergies, highlighting the importance of recognizing FA as a significant prognostic factor in managing long-term AD outcomes in comorbid cases.

Keywords: atopic comorbidity; food allergy; longitudinal cohort study; long‐term control; pediatric eczema.