The past, present, and future of research on anaphylaxis in Korean children

Abstract

Anaphylaxis is a serious, life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction that is rapid in onset and might cause death when not treated promptly. Recently, the prevalence of anaphylaxis has been increasing worldwide, especially in children, and food-induced anaphylaxis is rapidly increasing. With the establishment of the Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease in 1987, awareness of anaphylaxis has been heightened in Korea as well. Initially, it was considered a clinical form of food or drug hypersensitivity, but not a single disease entity. After the second symposium on anaphylaxis in 2006 and the World Allergy Organization guideline on anaphylaxis in 2011, research more focused on anaphylaxis is ongoing. The study of anaphylaxis in Korean children was initially restricted to case reports due to novel triggers. Thereafter, research on the age-specific prevalence of anaphylaxis was conducted using the national big data and more recently, a large-scale hospital-based multicenter study was conducted. Also, reliable data on food-induced anaphylaxis have been attained through a large-scale multicenter case study and a population-based epidemiological study on food allergy and currently, a prospective multicenter anaphylaxis registry has been launched funded by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These series of studies have contributed to the international competitiveness in pediatric anaphylaxis research. However, there are still unmet needs such as diagnosis, severity, treatment or intervention of anaphylaxis, education for the prevention of recurrence, and establishment of policies for social safety. Further studies addressing these issues will contribute to improvement of quality of life and overcoming of the disease.