Department of Allergy & Clinical Immunology

The Department of Allergy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital is the birthplace and cradle of clinical allergy in China.

In 1938, Professor Zhang Qingsong went to the United States for further study, learning about allergy while studying otolaryngology. After returning to China in 1939, he planned to establish an allergy outpatient clinic at PUMCH, but this was interrupted due to the Second Sino-Japanese War.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, starting in 1952, Professor Zhang Qingsong led Ye Shitai to establish the Department of Allergy under extremely difficult conditions of material scarcity. At the beginning of the new nation, creating a department of allergy that had never existed in China was truly starting from scratch. Ye Shitai utilized his spare time to search for and study materials in libraries to understand the basic knowledge and current status of allergy. Professor Ye recalled, 'The library at PUMCH was bustling day and night; when it closed in the evening, we had to ring the bell multiple times and urge people to leave before they would finally close their books and leave. Through extensive reading, I discovered that allergy is a unique and profound field within medicine, which further sparked my interest in this emerging discipline.'

At that time, there were no proper medical equipment stores in Beijing, and the Department of Allergy needed equipment for preparing diagnostic and therapeutic allergen extracts, such as sterile filters, separating funnels, and fractionators, which were impossible to purchase. Even essential items like refrigerators were nowhere to be found in Beijing, and ultimately, one was bought from a second-hand store. Through persistent efforts, the necessary equipment was gradually assembled, and on May 1, 1956, China's first Department of Allergy was officially established at PUMCH.

Under the leadership of successive directors, including Professors Zhang Qingsong, Ye Shitai, and Zhang Hongyu, the Department of Allergy has made significant pioneering contributions in medical care, research, education, and the establishment of the Allergy Branch of the Chinese Medical Association over the decades.

From its inception, the Department of Allergy attracted a large number of patients, not only from otolaryngology but also from various other fields, including bronchial asthma, drug allergies, food allergies, and various allergic skin diseases, resulting in a rich variety of conditions. In the second year after its official establishment, a group of patients with respiratory allergies was identified, showing significant seasonality, peaking in autumn. This caught the attention of Zhang Qingsong, Ye Shitai, and Gu Ruijin, who suspected that these patients were likely suffering from pollen allergies. After years of pollen surveys in Beijing, in-depth observations of patient conditions, and investigations of their home and work environments, it was confirmed in the early 1960s that the important sensitizing pollen in northern China was from the Asteraceae family, laying the foundation for pollen allergy research in China.

In the spring and summer of 1957, a tumultuous anti-rightist movement began, followed by a series of political movements. Allergy, being an emerging field of medicine originating from the West, faced criticism due to its emphasis on patients' living environments and lifestyles, which were deemed bourgeois. The department was often criticized during political movements, and during the unprecedented Cultural Revolution in 1966, it became a target, labeled as a bastion of bourgeois ideology. Daily operations were severely disrupted, nearly reaching a standstill. Professor Ye Shitai recalled, 'Seeing the urgent treatment needs of numerous allergy patients, I resolved that despite the difficulties, our work must continue. Even when I was the only one left in the department, I persisted with outpatient services, skin tests, and desensitization treatments, ensuring that our work never ceased during the Cultural Revolution, earning the trust and support of our patients.'

In the summer of 1971, Professor Ye Shitai and other medical personnel engaged in respiratory diseases were received by Premier Zhou Enlai. During the meeting, Professor Ye expressed concerns about the focus on symptomatic treatment for bronchitis while neglecting the underlying causes, and reported that pollen-induced cough and wheezing could occur even in spring, summer, and autumn. The Premier instructed, 'Everyone should return to work immediately, without waiting for winter to start.' This meeting raised awareness of allergy within the Ministry of Health, which subsequently emphasized the need to maintain and develop the Department of Allergy to preserve the unique characteristics of PUMCH.

In the 1970s, through long-term field investigations in homes and grain stores, dust mites were first discovered in dust collected from patients' homes and grain stores, laying the foundation for clinical and basic research on dust mite allergies in China.

In the 1980s, the Department of Allergy led a nationwide survey of airborne sensitizing pollen, initially mapping the distribution of sensitizing pollen across various provinces and regions in China, which laid the groundwork for clinical diagnosis and treatment of pollen allergies. Following this, the department also led a nationwide survey of airborne molds, establishing a foundation for the diagnosis and treatment of mold allergies.

As a renowned hospital for solving difficult and complicated diseases, the doctors in the Department of Allergy focused on clinical practice, achieving many unprecedented milestones in China:

In the 1980s, Professor Zhang Hongyu initiated research on hereditary angioedema (HAE) in China, collecting over 360 cases from more than 90 families, making it one of the largest clinical research centers internationally. In-depth studies on the pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment of HAE have reached an internationally leading level, and in 200? discovered a new type of gene mutation related to HAE, reporting the findings in international academic exchanges.

Professor Wen Zhaoming diagnosed allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, which accounts for 1%-2% of general asthma cases, for the first time in China, and established methods for detecting specific IgE and IgG using ELISA and immunoblotting techniques. He also pioneered work on allergies in infants and authored the first monograph on infant allergies, receiving acclaim in the academic community.

In the 1990s, Yin Jia and Ye Shitai reported for the first time that ragweed pollen is also one of the most significant sensitizing pollens in northern China during the summer and autumn, equally important as Asteraceae pollen, and established a method for in vitro detection of specific IgE for ragweed pollen.

In 2004, Professor Yin Jia diagnosed China's first case of severe allergic reaction induced by wheat-dependent exercise, and subsequently, the research team diagnosed over 100 similar cases, with the related research winning the first prize for scientific achievements at PUMCH in 2010.

The department's doctors have diagnosed rare severe allergic reactions caused by food allergies, such as Sichuan pepper, snow lotus, cauliflower, garlic, and buckwheat, leading to food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis, publishing related papers and abstracts at international conferences.

The department has diagnosed rare cases of metal allergies, publishing findings in international journals. In 2007, the department reported the first case of mercury allergy leading to baboon syndrome in China, exploring the pathogenesis; in 2008, it reported an extremely rare case of copper-induced palmoplantar pustulosis, with related articles published in 'Contact Dermatitis' and 'The Lancet.'

The Department of Allergy at PUMCH is the only clinical pharmacology trial base for anti-allergic drugs in China, having completed over 40 Phase I-IV clinical pharmacology trials in recent years. From 2008 to 2010, the department led clinical studies on sublingual desensitization for dust mites.

The department was one of the first to develop allergens and apply specific immunotherapy clinically. Former director Ye Shitai consistently believed, 'The occurrence of allergic diseases varies based on the patient's environment, local products, climate, lifestyle, and geography. The allergens for Chinese people differ from those abroad; therefore, the production and research of allergens should be based domestically and not simply copied from the West. The more Chinese the allergens are, the more they can be global.' Under his leadership, the department started with 4 allergens and now has over 200 allergen products with Chinese characteristics. In 2001, the production of allergens was officially transferred to the PUMCH Development Company, focusing on basic and clinical research on allergens.

Allergens are the main agents for clinical diagnosis and treatment of allergies and are one of the achievements of the Chinese allergy community over the past half-century. The hospital's self-produced crude allergen extracts have been widely used in clinical allergy practices across provinces and cities in China for over 40 years, playing a significant role in the development of the allergy field in China. Long-term medical practice has proven that the allergen extracts produced by the hospital are safe and effective, earning the trust of users and patients, and supporting the development of the allergy discipline nationwide, benefiting millions, from central leaders to ordinary citizens.

The Department of Allergy at PUMCH is a national continuing education base, currently undertaking the clinical allergy teaching tasks for the eight-year program at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The department's doctors place great emphasis on promoting and developing the field of allergy in China, having authored and published dozens of monographs, textbooks, and popular science books on allergy; since 1982, they have held 30 national clinical allergy training courses, training over 2,000 allergy specialists, thus advancing the talent reserve project in allergy in China. These individuals have become the backbone in the field of allergy across hospitals nationwide. Currently, the department has trained 13 master's students, 6 doctoral students, and has 1 doctoral student and 3 master's students currently enrolled.

The Department of Allergy at PUMCH has undertaken key projects funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology's Social Public Welfare Fund, the National Natural Science Foundation, Beijing's Key Scientific Research Fund, the Ministry of Health's Research Fund, and the hospital's key research fund, including one project over 1 million and two projects over 500,000. The department's doctors have published over 200 papers in core domestic and international journals and have received multiple awards. They hold one patent and currently have over 3 million in research project funding.

The Department of Allergy has made significant contributions to the establishment of the Allergy Branch of the Chinese Medical Association. In 1986, at the initiative of the department, a national academic organization—the Allergy Group of the Chinese Society for Microbiology and Immunology—was established, hosting four national allergy academic conferences in 1989, 1992, 1995, and 1998, with Professor Ye Shitai serving as the group leader. In August 2000, through the joint efforts and appeals of several doctors from the department, the Executive Council of the Chinese Medical Association approved the establishment of the Allergy Branch. At the first meeting of the Allergy Branch in 2001, Professor Ye Shitai was elected as Honorary Chair, Professor Zhang Hongyu as Chair, and other professors from the department were elected as Secretary-General, Standing Committee members, and working secretaries. In 2009, Professor Yin Jia was elected as Chair, Professor Wang Lianglu as Chair-elect, and Professor Li Hong as Deputy Secretary-General; in 2010, Professors Wen Liping and Zhi Yuxiang were elected as working secretaries, with Wen Liping elected as Deputy Chair of the Youth Committee.

Under the leadership and participation of the Department of Allergy, the Allergy Branch of the Chinese Medical Association holds annual academic conferences. Since 2005, the Allergy Disease Summit Forum has been held annually in Beijing, inviting top scholars in allergy and related fields from both domestic and international backgrounds for academic exchanges, making it the largest and most influential event in the field of allergy in China.

In 2007, the Department of Allergy and the Department of Immunology jointly founded the 'Chinese Journal of Clinical Immunology and Allergy.' This is China's first professional journal in the field of allergy, which officially entered the Chinese Science Citation Database in November 2010, becoming a core journal in Chinese science.

Since its establishment in 1956, through the efforts of several generations, the Department of Allergy at PUMCH has gradually become a center for medical care, education, and research in the field of allergy in China, leading in the diagnosis, treatment, and basic research of allergic diseases at the national level and having a certain influence internationally. The Department of Allergy at PUMCH enjoys a high reputation among the Chinese public, and seeking treatment for allergic diseases at PUMCH has become a consensus among patients nationwide, with an annual outpatient volume of nearly 70,000 visits, peaking at nearly 400 visits per day during peak seasons, with patients coming from all over the country.

Currently, the department has 18 staff members, including 1 full professor, 5 associate professors, 4 attending physicians, 2 research interns, 3 chief technicians, and 4 nurses. The Department of Allergy at PUMCH has a highly qualified talent pool, with all physicians under 50 holding doctoral degrees.

Under the leadership of renowned experts like Professor Yin Jia, the department has gathered a group of leading experts in the field of allergy in China. Professor Yin Jia participated in the creation of the 'Chinese Journal of Clinical Immunology and Allergy' and serves as its editor-in-chief. He has designed and led multiple national-level research projects, promoting the development of basic and clinical research in the field of allergy in China. In recent years, Professor Yin Jia has led the Allergy Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, fostering collaboration with international allergy organizations such as the ACAAI, AAAAI, EAACI, and WAO, and has hosted high-level international academic exchange activities in China multiple times, broadening the perspectives of Chinese allergy physicians, invigorating specialized thought, facilitating dialogue between China and the world, and advancing the development of the field of allergy in China. He was elected as an Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, representing China in academic exchanges and organizational management. In 2010, Professor Yin Jia received the Distinguished Fellow Award from ACAAI, an honor awarded to only two international physicians each year. Over 21 years, 43 overseas physicians have received this award, most from English-speaking countries, making Professor Yin Jia the first Chinese physician to receive this honor.

The field of allergy in China originated at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, growing from nothing to a vibrant discipline that is now spreading across the nation. The new generation of medical staff in the Department of Allergy will take the older generation as their example, empathizing with their entrepreneurial hardships, cherishing their honors, striving for excellence, and working together to create brilliance, aiming to elevate the level of the Department of Allergy at PUMCH to the forefront of global allergy research. A thriving, uniquely Chinese field of allergy has emerged in the East!