Statistical Analysis in Allergy and Immunology: A Review With Practical Examples.

Statistical analysis plays a critical role in biomedical research, ensuring that data are interpreted appropriately and that conclusions are both valid and reproducible. In allergy and immunology, where studies increasingly rely on complex data structures and analytical approaches, clarity on biostatistical methods is essential to support transparency and scientific rigor. However, inconsistent statistical reporting and misuse of analytical techniques remain persistent challenges in the field.

Correction: Efficacy of index of reactivity-liquid sublingual immunotherapy in allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2025.

Hypersensitivity Reactions to Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents: Update From an Allergist's Point of View.

Background: The increasing use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has led to a rise in the administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs), accompanied by a growing number of reported adverse events (AEs).

Objective: This review aims to provide an updated overview of hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to GBCAs, focusing on diagnostic and management strategies from an allergological perspective.

Methods: We reviewed recent literature concerning the classification, clinical presentation, and pathophysiological mechanisms of HSRs to GBCAs.

Profile of mild/moderate asthma patients: Baseline data from the MANI cohort.

Although 90% of asthmatic patients suffer from mild and moderate disease, little is known about the burden on health status and quality of life, the long-term trajectory of disease severity, and the socio-economic impact. The Mild Moderated Asthma Network of Italy (MANI) is a real-world, cross-sectional, prospective, observational cohort study designed to explore these issues. Here we aimed to provide an identikit of asthmatic patients receiving treatment according to GINA steps 1-4, and enrolled in the centers of excellence participating in the MANI.

ARIA-Italy managing allergic rhinitis and asthma in a changing world: The role of the Pharmacist.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are common respiratory disorders that often occur together, affecting quality of life and increasing healthcare expenses of patients. These chronic illnesses are often managed without medical supervision, creating distinct challenges. A lack of resources can limit regular follow-up, which in turn promotes disease mismanagement and an increased reliance on self-medication, including the inappropriate use of corticosteroids and nasal decongestants.

Assessing Nasal Obstruction Improvement in Dupilumab-Treated Patients With Active Anterior Rhinomanometry: A Preliminary Study.

Objective: To objectively assess nasal flow obstruction improvement through anterior active rhinomanometry (AAR) in patients with severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps treated with dupilumab.

Methods: Dupilumab-treated patients were evaluated at baseline (T0), 3rd month (T1) and 6th month (T2) after therapy initiation by AAR, and nasal airway resistances were measured using the Rinopocket ED200 system™. The Lund-Mackay Score (LMS), the Nasal Polyp Score (NPS) and the Lund-Kennedy Score (LKS) were assessed.

Efficacy of index of reactivity-liquid sublingual immunotherapy in allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies.

Introduction: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a well-established treatment with demonstrated efficacy and safety. However, variability in study outcomes remains a challenge, driven by differences in patient characteristics, study designs, and treatment durations. Moreover, disparities in allergen composition and quality of AIT products across manufacturers contribute to significant heterogeneity, complicating the interpretation of efficacy and safety data.

Hypersensitivity Reactions to Iodinated Contrast Media: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Clinical Challenges.

: Hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to iodinated contrast media (ICM), both immediate and non-immediate, pose clinical challenges despite using low-osmolality agents. This review aims to summarize current diagnostic approaches, cross-reactivity patterns, and the debated role of premedication. : A narrative review was conducted using PubMed (2014-2024), selecting studies on ICM-related HSRs, focusing on skin and in vitro testing, drug provocation tests (DPTs), cross-reactivity, and premedication.

New treatments for systemic mastocytosis in 2025.

Purpose Of Review: To provide an accessible, comprehensive overview of past, present, imminent, and future therapies for systemic mastocytosis.

Recent Findings: Based on recent trials, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) have approved two drugs for treating advanced systemic mastocytosis: avapritinib and midostaurin. The FDA also approved imatinib for selected cases of aggressive systemic mastocytosis without the D816V c-Kit mutation.

Use of Nasal Nitric Oxide to Compare Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Versus Dupilumab: An Exploratory Real-World Comparison.

Objective: To compare the outcomes of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and dupilumab using nasal nitric oxide (nNO) as a biomarker of mucosal health, Lund-Kennedy endoscopy score (LKES), and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22).

Methods: A prospective observational cohort of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) patients who underwent ESS followed by standard postoperative therapy was compared with another prospective cohort of CRSwNP patients who received dupilumab. In addition to baseline characteristics, nNO production, LKES, and SNOT-22 levels were compared between the 2 cohorts at the 1st month and 6th month posttreatment.

Depemokimab in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: A turning point or a missed opportunity?

The ANCHOR-1 and ANCHOR-2 trials of the long-acting anti-interleukin (IL)-5 monoclonal antibody depemokibab in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis demonstrated the safety and statistical efficacy of the drug compared to placebo. However, its clinical benefits appear limited compared to other biologic therapies. The reduced dosing interval may improve adherence, but further research is needed to identify the most responsive patients.

Vocal biomarkers correlate with FEV1 variations during methacholine challenge.

Background: Mobile health applications are increasingly valued for their role in asthma management and the opportunity for large dataset collection. Our study aimed to investigate the feasibility of applying signal-processing and machine-learning technologies to detect alterations in the lower airway caliber and develop a machine-learning algorithm to identify changes in vocal biomarkers and detect bronchoconstriction in patients with airway hyperreactivity.

Methods: This is an explorative observational prospective longitudinal study focused on vocal biomarkers and their association with bronchial constriction and respiratory function.

Real-world effectiveness of mepolizumab in asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Exacerbations and suboptimal disease control are common in severe asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype (SAep). Mepolizumab, an anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated efficacy and safety in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We aimed to strengthen the real-world evidence base for mepolizumab in SAep.

Allergen immunotherapy in Italy: How, when, and why-A real-world study conducted through a patient association.

Background: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only treatment that modifies the natural course of allergies. However, AIT is only used in some eligible patients, is frequently underused, and only a few studies investigated this aspects. Understanding AIT utilization patterns might disclose information about why it is underused, thus providing valuable insights on how to broaden the positive impact it can have on the population.

Mast Cells in Allergic and Non-Allergic Upper Airways Diseases: Sentinel in the Watchtower.

Mast cells are immune system cells with the most disparate functions, but are also among the least understood. Mast cells are implicated in several known pathological processes, tissue homeostasis, and wound repair. However, they owe their notoriety to allergic diseases, of which they represent the effector cell par excellence.

Prediction of Clinical Response to Dupilumab for CRSwNP Based on the Amsterdam Classification of Completeness of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ACCESS) Score.

Purpose: Although the effectiveness of molecular antibodies has been established, evidence is still lacking on objective predictors of response. The aim of this study was to assess whether the extent of previous endoscopic sinus surgeries, assessed by means of the Amsterdam Classification of Completeness of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ACCESS) score, may influence clinical outcomes in refractory CRSwNP patients treated with dupilumab.

Materials And Methods: A consecutive sample of patients treated with dupilumab for previously operated recalcitrant CRSwNP were enrolled in the study.

A 300 IR 5-grass pollen sublingual immunotherapy tablet-specific systematic review and meta-analysis confirms its clinical benefits for patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis with or without asthma.

Background: In the realm of allergen immunotherapy (AIT), the quality of evidence varies across different products, making it unjustifiable to extend overall conclusions to all AIT products, as highlighted by WAO and EAACI.

Objective: To confirm the efficacy of the 300 IR 5-grass pollen sublingual AIT (SLIT)-tablet through a specific meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients with allergic rhino-conjunctivitis (ARC) with/without mild/intermittent asthma.

Methods: Data from published RCTs on the 300 IR 5-grass SLIT-tablet were gathered from electronic databases (MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, LILACS, the Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrial.

Real-world evidence of allergen immunotherapy.

Purpose Of Review: The full understanding of the long-term effectiveness and safety of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for allergic respiratory diseases cannot be achieved through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) alone. However, real-world studies designed as registries can complement RCTs.

Recent Findings: The significance of registries is highlighted by their potential to reassess contraindications and collect data on adult and pediatric patients with multiple comorbidities who are often excluded from RCTs.

RIAIT (Italian Registry of Allergen Immunotherapy): Protocol for a New Tool in a New Vision of Disease-Modifying Therapy for Allergists.

Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated responses to clinical parameters, but a significant proportion of allergy patients in real-life settings would have been excluded from such studies. Therefore, real-world research is needed, and there is a growing body of information on allergen immunotherapy's long-term effectiveness and safety. Real-world evidence can be a valuable instrument to better understand the patient's journey and the effectiveness and safety of therapies.

SANI clinical remission definition: a useful tool in severe asthma management.

In the field of severe asthma, the concept of disease control has recently been integrated by the one of clinical remission. With this new concept, we move on to analyze the efficacy of therapy on multiple parameters simultaneously, starting with the mandatory discontinuation of the systemic glucocorticoids, to which is added the effect on exacerbations, respiratory function, and symptoms control. The Italian severe asthma registry SANI (Severe Asthma Network Italy) drafted criteria for the definition of disease remission, allowing patients to be classified into two groups, partial and complete remission.

New evidence in food allergies treatment.

Purpose Of Review: To acknowledge, the newly available treatments for food allergy described in the latest scientific literature, such as oral immunotherapy (OIT), biologics and the combination of them in managing patients with IgE-mediated food allergies.

Recent Findings: Recent studies suggest that OIT and biologics, alone or together, can have a role as disease-modifying treatments for food allergies. The FDA has recently approved omalizumab as a treatment for food allergy.

Clinical remission in severe asthma: lights and shadows on an ambitious goal.

Purpose Of Review: The aim of this study was Describe the latest evidence related to the concept of clinical remission in patients with severe asthma, focusing on the lights and shadows of this concept.

Recent Findings: The idea of clinical remission in severe asthma patients brings about a significant shift in the way asthma is treated and managed. Although there has yet to be unanimous agreement among various scientific societies on the precise definition, this concept can be extremely useful in advancing the treatment of the disease.

Asthma management, focused on the use of oral corticosteroids: the opinions of Italian asthmatic patients.

Objective: Patients' perceptions of asthma symptoms, and attitudes regarding diagnosis and management, can affect their ability to reach good asthma control. The aim of the study was to explore patients' perceptions of asthma management, with focus on treatment with oral corticosteroids (OCS).

Methods: A DOXAPHARMA survey was conducted.