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STYLIANA VASILEIADOU 
Dissertation defense: 5 June 2025 (click for details)
Doctoral thesis:  
Research area: Pediatrics
Sahlgrenska Academy, The Institute of Clinical 91̽»¨s

Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting both children and adults. It’s caused by inflammation of the nasal mucosa triggered by allergies, with symptoms like a runny nose, nasal congestion, itching, and sneezing.

In Sweden, about 5–6 percent of all 4-year-olds have allergic rhinitis. The prevalence rises with age, affecting up to a third of teenagers. Despite its impact, allergic rhinitis is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, significantly affecting both individuals' quality of life and the society.

"The data in my dissertation come from large studies based on questionnaires, and some also include allergy testing and information from national healthcare registries.
The goal is to identify early risk factors for allergic rhinitis — such as environmental, lifestyle, or health-related factors — that we might be able to influence in order to prevent more people from developing the disease", says Styliana Vasileiadou, pediatrician and pediatric allergist at the Pediatric Allergy Clinic at the Queen Silvia Children's Hospital in Gothenburg, and a doctoral student at the Institute of Clinical 91̽»¨s.

Growing up on a farm and eating fish often early in life may lower the risk of allergic rhinitis

"We found that about one in five 12-year-olds had allergic rhinitis. The risk was higher if the child had a parental history of allergic rhinitis, was a boy, or had food allergy or eczema during the first year of life. However, growing up on a farm and eating fish frequently during the first year of life appeared to be protective factors."

Among young adults (aged 16–25), the number of people with allergic rhinitis remained almost stable between 2008 and 2016. Having asthma or a family history of allergy or asthma were the most important risk factors in both years. Interestingly, growing up on a farm showed a protective effect against allergic rhinitis even in young adulthood.

Figure 8 from the dissertation: It illustrates that the risk of allergic rhinitis at age 12 years was lowest among children who had lived on a farm at age 4 years and had no parental history of allergic rhinitis, as estimated in a multivariate analysis (a statistical method).

Being sensitized increases the risk of allergic rhinitis and makes remission harder

About one-third of the children developed allergic rhinitis between the ages of 8 and 19. Children who were sensitized* were more likely to develop allergic rhinitis and less likely to outgrow it.

"These results help us better understand how allergic rhinitis develops, which children are at greater risk, and what we might be able to do to prevent it — for example, by learning more about why farm life seems to be protective or promoting healthy eating habits early in life." 

What has been the most rewarding and challenging part of your PhD project?

"One of the best parts has been collaborating and exchanging ideas with so many knowledgeable colleagues — it really gave me extra energy throughout the project. One of the biggest challenges was managing the huge amount of collected data and figuring out the best way to present the results in a clear and understandable way. But overall, it has been a very enjoyable journey being a PhD student."

 Text: Susanne Lj Westergren