Our Changing Environment and the Allergy Epidemic

The prevalence of allergic disease continues to rise worldwide with estimates approximating 1 billion individuals. ¹ This trend has significant implications on morbidity and quality of life for affected individuals, as well as a substantial impact on healthcare spending. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, in collaboration with the European Federation of Allergy (EFA), has published a position paper calling for research to help understand the allergy epidemic. Major unmet research needs were identified that reflect concerns about our changing environment. These unmet research needs included monitoring of airborne particles, new contact sensitizers, and the need for additional translational research.

In this issue of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology, we highlight two papers that address these unmet needs and help us to understand our changing environment and its potential impact on allergic individuals.

Ratajová et al. present their work on the effect of biofuels on grass pollen production. Intense fertilization was found to increase pollen production as well as increase tryptophan content, which is involved in the occurrence and course of allergic disease.

Over the past decade, mobile phones have become an integral part of our environment, serving multiple functions beyond the traditional oral conversation. These devices are used for gaming, texting, and listening to music, and are also frequently used to keep adolescents in constant communication with their peers. Aquino's study identifies cell phones as potential sources of exposure for children with metal sensitivity.

I would like to acknowledge some recent changes to the editorial board of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology. We would like to thank Dr. Riccardo Polosa for his dedication and many contributions to the Journal during his term as an International Editor. Dr. Giovanni Pajno has generously agreed to become an International Editor, joining Drs. Dolovich and Harfi in this capacity. He will begin his term with this issue. Dr. Pajno is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Messina in Messina, Italy. His expertise is in the areas of food allergy and allergy-specific immunotherapy for the treatment of IgE mediated respiratory diseases.

Three section editors have been added. Each brings a unique expertise that will allow us to expand the breadth and depth of the reviews and manuscripts we bring to our readers. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Edward Lee, Chief of the Division of Thoracic Imaging and Director of Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School; Dr. Megan K. Dishop, Pediatric Anatomic Pathologist from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Children's Hospital Colorado; and Dr. Mark A. Davis-Lorton, Director of Clinical Immunology at Winthrop University Hospital in New York.

I hope that you will join me in welcoming our new editors.