Role of Atopic March in the Development of Adult Asthma

Atopic march is defined as a natural progression of atopic manifestations characterized by a sequential development of allergic diseases in infancy. However, the atopic march does not always follow the typical sequence and the complete spectrum of atopic manifestations and may occur at any age. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between atopic march and the development of asthma versus the occurrence of asthma without a history of other allergies in the studied patients.  All patients with different types of allergy referred to the Asthma and Allergy Clinics of Azad University Hospitals from June 2021 to June 2022 were included in this case-control cross-sectional study. After the diagnosis by an allergist, the patients were asked to participate in a 5-minute interview to describe their allergy history. A total of 156 individuals with allergies were interviewed, of whom 94 patients had the asthma criteria. The mean age of the surveyed subjects was 32.03±13.35 years. The sample included 93 females (59.6%) and 63 males (40.4%). Asthma and atopic march were detected in 94(60.3%) and 12(7.7%) patients, respectively. Among the studied patients, 11.7% of the asthmatic patients had experienced atopic march throughout their lives. Classification of the patients based on the clinical phenotype of their disease, as well as the environmental triggers, can help create more targeted treatment to achieve better outcomes.