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FDA approves nonprescription Zyrtec
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved nonprescription formulations of Zyrtec (cetirizine HCl), some which will be available only behind the pharmacy counter. The tablet and chewable tablets are approved for adults and children, 6 and older, for itching due to hives and hay fever and other respiratory allergy symptoms. The syrup is approved for adults and children 2 and older for hay fever and other respiratory allergy symptoms, as well as adults and children 6 and older for itching due to hives. The company will market two distinct products: one for hay fever and respiratory symptoms, and one for itching due to hives.  

Family history ups asthma death risk
The risk of dying from an asthma attack may be hereditary, according to a study in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine that analyzed genealogy records linked to Utah death certificates. Scientists at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City looked at 1,553 asthma-related deaths in a registry of deaths in Utah since 1904. The risk of dying from an asthma attack was increased by 69 percent for first-degree relatives of people who died from an asthma attack, versus people with no family history of asthma deaths. Among second-degree relatives, the risk was 34 percent higher than among people with no family history of asthma deaths. Among third-degree relatives, the risk was 15 percent higher. 

Study: Kids with cat allergy at higher asthma, hay fever risk
Children who have allergic sensitivity to cats may be at higher risk of developing asthma or hay fever as young adults, according to a study in Allergy. Researchers at the Medical University Lubeck, Germany, studied 1,207 subjects who had been tested for sensitivity to common allergens during their school years and then reassessed nine years later. Among children displaying signs of cat allergy at age 11, about 20 percent developed asthma and about 47 percent developed hay fever during the period. Of all the allergens, only sensitization to cat was associated with a significantly higher risk of developing asthma. 

A message from ACAAI President Dr. Jay M. Portnoy

Every allergist knows that environmental factors can trigger asthma attacks and seriously affect the quality of life of our patients.

In 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created the National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management. This award recognizes health plans and health care providers who incorporate management of environmental factors as a significant component in a comprehensive asthma care program. Winners of this National Award are held out as role models of excellence from which health plans and providers should learn as they develop ways to improve health outcomes for their members and patients with asthma. Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo., was honored to win the National provider award the first time it was offered.

In the subsequent two years, this recognition has been awarded to several additional health plans and provider groups. The awards are presented at the Communities in Action for Asthma-Friendly Environments national asthma forum that is held every spring in Washington, D.C. I have been to several of these forums and have observed the passion with which attendees approach the comprehensive management of asthma using environmental modifications. While the room is full of health plan administrators, disease managers, allied health workers, government regulators, and even legislators (I met with the Surgeon General last year at this forum), there is a clear absence of physician involvement.

Call to action
Most of us consider identification and management of environmental triggers to be our special area of expertise. Now we have a potentially important ally if only we take advantage of the opportunity. Applications for the 2008 National Environmental Leadership Award are now being accepted. The deadline for submitting an application is Feb. 1, 2008, with the forum itself scheduled for May 1–2, 2008, in Washington, D.C. The winners will have their programs’ achievements highlighted throughout the year.

As a previous winner of the award, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that we members of the allergy community participate in this movement. This is where all levels of healthcare come together to plan the future of asthma management. If we are not at the table, then we risk becoming irrelevant. For more information about the National Environmental Leadership Award, an application form, and profiles of past award winners, visit www.asthmaawards.info.









Children's Mercy Hospital received the EPA's first National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management Award in 2005.


Allergy-related conferences
In response to the President’s column two weeks ago, I heard from several private practices that arranged to participate in conferences with an academic center. The main barriers appear to be finding those programs, determining when their conferences are held, and obtaining contact information. To facilitate this, I would like to request that programs that have regular allergy conferences and would be willing to include outside participants to please send an e-mail to president@acaai.org. If enough interest is generated, it may be feasible for the ACAAI to develop an infrastructure to facilitate videoconferencing for College members. I invite your comments. Please take a moment to complete the brief poll about allergy-related conferences.

College membership reaches all-time high
During the past year, the College has recruited 272 new members, reaching a record high total membership of 5,480.

New members include: Fellows-in-Training (164), Associate Members (40), Fellows (39), Members (18), Allied Health Members (10) and a Scientific Fellow.

The College recognizes the following physicians who have sponsored the most dues-paying membership applications:

Dr. Blanca Estela Del Rio Navarro, Mexico City, Mexico (6)
Dr. Joseph D. Spahn, Denver (5)
Dr. A. Wesley Burks, Durham, N.C. (4)
Dr. Sandra Gonzalez-Diaz, Monterrey, Mexico (4)
Dr. Rohit K. Katial, Denver (4)
Dr. Michael R. Nelson, Olney, Md. (4)
Dr. James M. Quinn, San Antonio, Texas (4)
Dr. H. James Wedner, St. Louis (4)


Newly elected ACAAI Fellows were honored during the Convocation held in Dallas on Nov. 10, made possible through a grant from Merck & Co.

ACAAI, JCAAI issue letter to AMA on third class of drugs
The College and Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (JCAAI) informed the AMA that the allergy community is opposed to the addition of a third (pharmacist-controlled) class of drugs.

The letter stated “Physicians are well trained in the use of drugs, including those that are not safe for use by consumers. Physicians should remain in charge of the use of medications which require any level of supervision, since these types of drugs require prior evaluation and diagnosis — activities which remain in the purview of the physician.”

The ACAAI and JCAAI offered assistance in maintaining the needed level of responsibility of the physician in the prescription of medications.

Dr. Shi-Tai Ye receives Honorary Fellow Award in Beijing
The College recognized Dr. Shi-Tai Ye, Beijing, as Honorary Fellow during the ACAAI-WAO Emerging Societies programs held in Beijing.

Professor Ye has been working in the field of allergy for 50 years at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, in Beijing. While he was director of its department of allergy, more than 2,000 physicians received an allergology education since the 1970s.

As one of the founders of allergology in China, Professor Ye with his research group discovered and confirmed Artemisia pollen as the dominant allergen of seasonal allergic rhinitis in North China in 1962. He is the first allergist to investigate the environment of bronchial asthma/allergic rhinitis patients in the 1970s. During the following decades, with the help of Professor Bingshan Qiao, Professor Ye sponsored and reviewed the investigation of pollens and fungus allergen nationwide and established the allergen database of China. He also initiated the research of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in 1980s and in the following decades Professor Hongyu Zhang continued the research where more than 400 families were followed.

As well as introducing new concepts and knowledge of allergy and clinical immunology, Professor Ye also made efforts to introduce Chinese allergists to the outside world to activate academic communication.

In 1986, the Chinese Society of Allergology was founded in affiliation with the Chinese Academy of Microbiology & Immunology with Dr. Ye as its first president. The Chinese Academic Society of Allergology was founded in 2001 under his leadership.

Dr. William K. Dolen, ACAAI past president, presents the Honorary Fellow Award to Dr. Shi-Tai Ye.

In Memoriam: Dr. Robert Becker and Dr. Paul Hannaway
It is with great sadness that we report the deaths of Dr. Robert J. Becker, ACAAI past president (1987) and founder of the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (JCAAI), who died Nov. 5, and Dr. Paul Hannaway, honored with an Award of Special Recognition for his contribution to the specialty and service to the public at the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Dallas, who died Nov. 22.

Robert J. Becker, M.D., Oak Brook, Ill. In 1956, Dr. Becker, founded his private practice in Joliet, Ill., which he called “WSI, Inc.,” or “Wheeze, Sneeze and Itch.” His license plate and e-mail addresses often included “WSI.”

In addition to founding the JCAAI, he founded the Quad River Medical Foundation and co-founded the healthcare cost management company Health Care COMPARE, serving as chairman of the board until 1990. He also served on the board of the National Association of Peer Review Organizations and the Illinois State Medical Society.

“In the late 1960’s, Dr. Becker recognized that with four allergy societies, we had a burning need to speak to the government and the public with only one voice,” wrote Dr. Donald W. Aaronson, JCAAI executive director. “He proposed the formation of a single socio-economic allergy society which came into being in approximately 1968 as the Joint Council for the Socio-Economics of Allergy. About 15 years later, the name was changed to the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The organization has continued to represent the socio-economic interests of all allergists up to the present time. The Board paid tribute to the insightful views of Dr. Becker. Contributions can be made to the American Diabetes Association.”

Paul J. Hannaway, M.D., Salem, Mass. Dr. Hannaway served as an expert in his field for more than 35 years. In 1971, he founded the successful practice, Asthma and Allergy Affiliates, in Salem. Dr. Hannaway was an associate clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. He served as president for both the New England Society of Allergy and the Massachusetts Asthma Allergy Society. He wrote five books on asthma and allergies, including the American Medical Writers Book Award winner, The Asthma Self-Help Book. Other books he wrote include Asthma: An Emerging Epidemic and On the Nature of Food Allergy (May 2007). In 1990, Dr. Hannaway established the annual Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Golf tournament. The event to date has successfully raised more than one million dollars for asthma and allergy education. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting expressions of sympathy be made to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, c/o Allergy Affiliates, 116R Highland Ave., Salem, MA 01970 or My Brother’s Table, 93 Willow St., Lynn, MA 01901.

Congratulations to the Clemens von Pirquet Winners
The ACAAI Alliance presented Clemens von Pirquet Awards to three Fellows-in-Training for their outstanding abstracts at the ACAAI Annual Business Meeting in Dallas.

The Alliance Memorial Award winner is Dr. W. Brett Cherry, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn, who received a $5,000 award for his abstract “Complex Immunotherapy and Bacteriostasis: Can We Meet the Proposed Standard?”

Dr. Matthew A. Rank, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., received a $3,500 second-place award for his abstract, “Identification of Risk Factors for Systemic Reactions to Allergen Immunotherapy.”

The third-place award of $2,500 was presented to Dr. Bret R. Haymore, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., for his abstract “Meta-analysis: Risk of Angioedema with Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in Patients with Prior Angioedema Associated with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors.”

The Alliance presents three Clemens von Pirquet Awards. Left to right: Dr. Bret R. Haymore, Alliance President Jeanne Zitt, Dr. Matthew A. Rank and Dr. W. Brett Cherry.

Board Review Corner
Welcome to the Board Review Corner prepared by Drs. Bret R. Haymore and Dr. Jennifer W. Mbuthia, Senior and Junior Representatives of ACAAI’s fellows-in-training (FITs) to the Board of Regents. The Board Review Corner is an opportunity to help hone your Board preparedness.

To refer to a previous Board Review Corner, click the “FIT Archive” link in the left column.

Review Questions: Chapter 15 of Pediatric Allergy: Principles & Practices, edited by Donald Y.M. Leung, et al. Review questions were contributed by Drs. Bret Haymore and Jiun Yoon, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

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