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Ellwood P, Asher MI, Stewart AW and the ISAAC Phase III Study Group. The impact of the method of consent on response rates in the ISAAC time trends study. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2010 Aug;14(8):1059-65.View abstract
Büchele G, Genuneit J, Weinmayr G, Björkstén B, Gehring U, von Mutius E, Priftanji A, Stein RT, Addo-Yobo EO, Priftis KN, Shah JR, Forastiere F, Svabe V, Crane J, Nystad W, García-Marcos L, Saraçlar Y, El-Sharif N, Strachan DP and the ISAAC Phase Two Study Group. International Variations in Bronchial Responsiveness in Children: Findings From ISAAC Phase Two. Pediatr Pulmonol 2010; 45(8): 796–806 View abstract
Nagel G, Weinmayr G, Kleiner A, Garcia-Marcos L, Strachan DP, the ISAAC Phase Two Study Group. Effect of diet on asthma and allergic sensitisation in the International Study on Allergies and Asthma in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Two. Thorax 2010; 65(6): 516-522 View abstract
Anderson HR, Ruggles R, Pandey KD, Kapetenakis V, Brunekreef B, Lai CKW, Strachan DP, Weiland SK, and the ISAAC Phase One Study Group. Ambient particulate pollution and the world-wide prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in children: Phase One of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Occup Environ Med 2010; 67(5): 293-300. doi:10.1136/oem.2009.048785. epub: 9 October 2009. View Abstract
Asher MI, Stewart AW, Mallol J, Montefort M, Lai CKW, Aït-Khaled N, Odhiambo J, and the ISAAC Phase One Study Group. Which population level environmental factors are associated with asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema? A review of the ecological analyses of ISAAC Phase One. Respiratory Research. 2010; 11(8): View Abstract
Weinmayr G, Genuneit J, Nagel G, Björkstén B, van Hage M, Priftanji A, Cooper P, Rijkjärv M-A, von Mutius E, Tsanakas J, Forastiere F, Doekes G, Garrido JB, Morales Suárez-Varela MM, Bråbäck L, Strachan DP, the ISAAC Phase Two Study Group. International variations in associations of allergic markers and diseases in children: ISAAC Phase Two. Allergy 2010; 65(6): 766–775. epub 21 Dec 2009. DOI:10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.02283.x View Abstract
Global variations in prevalence of eczema symptoms in children from ISAAC Phase Three. Joseph Odhiambo, Hywel Williams, Tadd Clayton, Colin Robertson, Innes Asher and the ISAAC Phase Three Study group. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009;24(6):1251-8.View abstract
A multi-centre study of candidate genes for wheeze and allergy. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Phase Two.Genuneit J, Cantelmo JL, Weinmayr G, Wong GWK, Cooper PJ, Riikjärv MA, Gotua M, Kabesch M, von Mutius E, Forastiere F, Crane J, Nystad W, El Sharif N, Batllés-Garrido J, García-Marcos L, García-Hernández G, Morales Suárez-Varela M, Nilsson L, Bråbäck L, Saraçlar Y, Weiland SK, Cookson WOC, Strachan DP, Moffatt MF, and the ISAAC Phase Two Study Group. Clin Exp Allergy 2009; 39: 1875-88.View abstract
Antibiotic use in infancy and risk of symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in 6 to 7 year old children: ISAAC Phase Three.Foliaki S, Pearce N, Björkstén B, Mallol J, Montefort S, von Mutius E and the ISAAC Phase Three Study Group.J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009;124:982-9.View abstract
Translation of questions: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) experience.Ellwood P, Williams H, Aït-Khaled N, Björkstén B, Robertson C, ISAAC Phase III Study Group. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. September 2009; 13(9): 1174-1182. View abstract
Self Reported Truck Traffic on the Street of Residence and Symptoms of Asthma and Allergic Disease: A Global Relationship in ISAAC Phase Three. Brunekreef B, Stewart AW, Anderson HR, Lai CKW, Pearce NE. Environ Health Perspect 2009; 117(11): 1791-98. Epub July 2009. doi:10.1289/ehp.0800467. View abstract
How well do questionnaires perform compared with physical examination in detecting flexural eczema? Findings from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Two.Flohr C, Weinmayr G, Weiland SK (deceased), Addo-Yobo E, Annesi-Maesano I, Björkstén B, Bråbäck L, Büchele G, Chico M, Cooper P, Clausen M, El-Sharif N, Martínez Gimeno M, Mathur RS, von Mutius E, Morales Suárez-Varela M, Pearce N, Svabe V, Wong GWK, Yu M, Zhong NS, Williams HC. Br J Dermatol 2009; 161(4): 846-853. Epub 27 May. View abstract
Global variation in the prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms: Phase Three of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Christopher K W Lai, Richard Beasley, Julian Crane, Sunia Foliaki, Jayant Shah, Stephan Weiland and the ISAAC Phase Three Study Group. Thorax 2009; 64: 476–483. View abstract
Global map of the prevalence of symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis in children: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three.Ait-Khaled N. Pearce N. Anderson H. R. Ellwood P. Montefort S. Shah J. and the ISAAC Phase Three Study Group. Allergy 2009; 64: 123–148. View abstract
Effect of Breastfeeding on Asthma, Lung function, and Bronchial Hyperreactivity in ISAAC-Phase-Two.Nagel G, Büchele G, Weinmayr G, Björkstén B, Chen Y-Z, Wang H, Nystad W, Saraclar Y, Bråbäck L, Batlles-Garrido J, Garcia-Hernandez G, Weiland SK, the ISAAC Phase Two Study Group. Eur Resp J. 2009; 33: 993–1002. View abstract
Prevalence of rhinitis-related symptoms in Latin American children – Results of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three. Solé D, Mallol J, Camelo-Nunes IC, Wandalsen GF and Latin American ISAAC Study Group. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2009; Epub ahead of print. View abstract
What have we learnt from ISAAC phase III in the Asia-Pacific rim? Fok AOL, Wong GWK. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2009; 9(2):116-122. View abstract
ISAAC has collaborated with The Union to produce the Global Asthma Report 2011.This report shows the tools to manage asthma exist but are not reaching many of the 235 million people affected. The Global Asthma Report 2011 highlights the issues surrounding this major non-communicable disease.
Designed for stakeholders from government ministers and policy-makers to health
workers and people with asthma, the Global Asthma Report 2011 is a richly
illustrated "atlas" that provides an overview of what is known about the causes and
triggers of the disease, the global prevalence, the progress being made and the
significant challenges today and for the future.
Download report | View website | Download press release
The ISAAC Steering Committee is proud to announce that the ISAAC Story, a 20 year history of ISAAC, is now available on the website. This fascinating account contains details from the how ISAAC was first conceived through to the findings of the very latest papers. Recollections of founding members, full descriptions of all aspects of the methodology and tools, all publications graphs and maps are available as well as pages for each of the 9 regions, 105 countries and 306 centres containing centre information, collaborators and personal recollections of the investigators.
View the ISAAC Story
The embargo on the ISAAC Phase One individual level data has now expired and the Phase One individual level data is publicly available on the ISAAC website (/phases/phaseone/results/resultsIndv.php). Not all centres are available yet, as we are still in the process of requesting permission from the Principal Investigators. More centres will continue to become available as we receive responses to our request.
The ISAAC Phase One and Three summary data which has already been published in ISAAC worldwide papers is now available for all 237 Phase Three centres at /phases/phasethree/results/results.php and for all 156 Phase One Centres at (/phases/phaseone/results/results.php).
Professor Innes Asher, chair of ISAAC, was invited to contribute an editorial in The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease(IJTLD), the official journal of The International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), as part of World Asthma Day. In this editorial, Professor Asher reflects on 20 years of ISAAC and how ISAAC findings have affected the way the world views asthma.
View Editorial
Professor Innes Asher shared the highlights of the ISAAC work and recent Symposium at this public lecture hosted by the Auckland Medical Research Foundation (AMRF). In this lecture Professor Asher highlighted the changes in thinking about asthma and allergies over the last 20 years.
download notes | view presentation | View AMRF article
The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Steering Committee with The University of Auckland and Massey University hosted this international symposium on asthma, eczema, rhinitis and the environment 20 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ISAAC study. Members of the ISAAC steering committee gave illuminating talks on recent research and findings in these fields.
Selected speakers presentations are now available to download on the website. view
The latest Phase Three paper describes the impact that method of consent had on the ISAAC Phase Three Time Trends study. This paper also attracted editorial comment in this issue of the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. View Editorial
Ellwood P, Asher MI, Stewart AW and the ISAAC Phase III Study Group. The impact of the method of consent on response rates in the ISAAC time trends study. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2010 Aug;14(8):1059-65.View abstract
The latest ISAAC paper 'Beasley RW, Clayton TO, Crane J, Lai CKW, Montefort SR, von Mutius E, Stewart AW, and the ISAAC Phase Three Study Group. Acetaminophen Use and Risk of Asthma, Rhinoconjunctivitis and Eczema in Adolescents: ISAAC Phase Three. Am J Resp Crit Care Med. 2011; 183(2): 171-178.' has now been published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. view article
This paper has also attracted positive editorial comment from the journal. view editorial
ISAAC has once again been noted for its contributions to asthma epidemiology. In an editorial in Thorax, the ISAAC Worldwide Asthma Time Trends paper was named as 'one of the more important articles covering asthma epidemiology' and praised for the discussion it generated, while the ISAAC Phase 2 diet paper was also singled out for positive comment. Future ISAAC papers are anticipated as they 'have high expectations that the enormous epidemiological database held by the ISAAC researchers will continue to shed light on risk factors and inform protective strategies.' Read Editorial
In accordance with a growing trend to have full research data sets publicly available, the ISAAC Steering Committee has made the ISAAC Phase One individual level data available on the ISAAC website (/secure/resultsIndv.php). This data has been password protected for 1 year to facilitate use of the Phase One data set by the Phase One collaborators. Not all centres are available yet, as we are still in the process of requesting permission from the Principal Investigators. More centres will continue to become available as we receive responses to our request. Passwords have been sent to those ISAAC collaborators who have given permission for the use of their Phase One data sets. Any queries regarding password access may be directed to Eamon Ellwood (e.ellwood@auckland.ac.nz)
The ISAAC phase three summary data is now available at /phases/phasethree/results/results.php on the ISAAC website along with the Phase One data (/phases/phaseone/results/results.php) that has been available since 2002. Not all centres are available yet, as we are still in the process of requesting permission from the Principal Investigators. More centres will continue to become available as we receive responses to our request.
ISAAC was represented by Innes Asher, Philippa Ellwood and Colin Robertson at the ATS International conference in New Orleans. Professor Asher was invited as a key note speaker and gave a presentation on ‘Asthma Disparities: a Global View’ (download notes). Poster sessions were given by Philippa Ellwood on ‘The Effect Of Diet On Symptom Prevalence Of Asthma, Rhinitis And Eczema In Children: Global Findings From The International Study Of Asthma And Allergies In Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three’ (download abstract) and Colin Robertson on 'Asthma And Migration: Unmasking Asthma Potential. The International Study Of Asthma And Allergy In Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three' (download abstract).
The ISAAC Collaborators Reception was also held at this event and Innes, Philippa and Colin were joined by Donna Rennie (Saskatoon, Canada), and Malcolm Sears (Hamilton, Canada), for a light lunch and catch up. Other ISAAC collaborators attending the ATS but unable to join the group were Yu-Zhi Chen (Beijing, China), Greg Redding (Seattle, USA) and Isabelle Romieu (Cuernavaca, Mexico).
Which population level environmental factors are associated with asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema? A review of the ecological analyses of ISAAC Phase One. Asher MI, Stewart AW, Mallol J, Montefort M, Lai CKW, Aït-Khaled N, Odhiambo J, and the ISAAC Phase One Study Group. Respiratory Research. 2010; 11(8) View abstract
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), at the 40th anniversary International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease World Conference in Cancun, Mexico, unanimously declared that 2010 will be the Year of the Lung. ISAAC supports this initiative by FIRS in its campaign for lung health.
For more information please view:
Official FIRS press release | Year of the Lung website
The ISAAC symposium was held at the Autonomous University of Yucatan (Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán) The Symposium was hosted by Professor Manuel Baeza Bacab, the ISAAC National Co-ordinator for Mexico, and lectures of ISAAC findings and related topics were given by 6 members of the ISAAC Steering Committee. Use these links for more information or to download slides from the lectures, or these can also be obtained from our Phase Four resources page.
The annual ISAAC Steering Committee meeting was held in Merida, Mexico on the 26-27th of November, organised by Dr Manuel Baeza Bacab, the National Co-ordinator for Mexico. It was a thoroughly successful occasion, with many productive and fruitful discussions taking place. Dr Baeza Bacab also organised a Symposium which followed the ISAAC meeting held at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (Autonomous University of Yucatan). The University website has posted a news article about the Symposium.
Article (English via Google Translate) | Article (Spanish)
ISAAC Steering Committee member Professor Hywel Williams has been appointed the new Chair of the United Kingdom's National Institute of Health Research(NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Commissioning Board and Deputy Director of the HTA Programme. View the full news release here: http://www.hta.ac.uk/news/newsitem121009.shtml This is a wonderful achievement for Hywel and a big honour for dermatology and for ISAAC.
The IIDC has noticed that there are a number of papers that although they were not part of the ISAAC Phase One, Two or Three studies they have used ‘ISAAC’ (or ‘The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood’) in the title of their publications. Studies that are not registered ISAAC centres are not entitled to use ISAAC (or ‘The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood’) in the title of the publication. This implies they were part of the original ISAAC studies, which of course they were not. We recommend that researchers read the ISAAC Publications Policy on this website.
Please see the ISAAC Publications Policy page or contact Philippa Ellwood (p.ellwood@auckland.ac.nz) if you require further clarification of these matters.
The October 2009 ISAAC newsletter has now been published. View the newsletter here or use the menu to the left.
ISAAC now has an article on Wikipedia. Click here to check it out.
Use of paracetamol in the first year of life in later childhood, is associated with risk of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis (RC)*, and eczema at age 6-7 years. This is the conclusion of an Article in this week's Asthma Special Issue of The Lancet, by lead author Professor Richard Beasley...read more
Beasley R, Clayton T, Crane J, von Mutius E, Lai CKW, Montefort S, Stewart A, for the ISAAC Phase Three Study Group. Association between paracetamol use in infancy and childhood, and risk of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in children aged 6-7 years: analysis from Phase Three of the ISAAC programme. Lancet 2008; 372(9643): 1039-48.
The ISAAC Programme formally finished in December 2012. The Global Asthma Network was founded in 2012 and will extend the work of ISAAC in the asthma field.
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