Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

About Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

About the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering research on allergy and immunology. It is one of the official journals of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), and it has been published under the Mosby imprint (now part of Elsevier) since its inception. Its print ISSN is 0091-6749 and its online ISSN is 1097-6825; its standard abbreviation is J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.

As the journal's own aims page states, JACI "publishes high-impact, cutting-edge basic, clinical and translational research papers in Allergy, Asthma and Immunology." Articles cover asthma, food allergy, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, primary immune deficiencies, occupational and environmental allergy, and other allergic and immunologic diseases — including clinical trials and mechanistic studies that report on novel therapies, insights into underlying mechanisms, and other discoveries that will inform the understanding of these diseases and ultimately improve the diagnosis and management of patients.

JACI is widely regarded as the flagship clinical journal of the allergy/immunology specialty. It is recommended for initial purchase in the Brandon/Hill "Selected List of Books and Journals for the Small Medical Library," reflecting its standing as an essential title for any medical library serving allergists, immunologists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists, and other physicians and researchers interested in allergic diseases.

History: From the Journal of Allergy (1929) to JACI (1971–present)

The journal was established in 1929 as the Journal of Allergy, making it one of the oldest continuously published specialty journals in medicine — approaching a century of publication. In 1971 it obtained its current name, the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology; the name change was reportedly related to a shift in attitude among physicians about the breadth of applicability of the term "allergy."

Throughout its history the journal has been published under the Mosby imprint. When Mosby became part of Elsevier, JACI became an Elsevier title while retaining the Mosby identity that generations of allergists associate with it. Scopus coverage for the current title runs 1971–present (with earlier coverage under predecessor titles), giving the journal one of the deepest archives in the specialty.

In 2019 the journal marked its 90th anniversary with a retrospective — "The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: 90 years strong" — that named the most impactful articles published since the 1971 title change and tabulated the journal's most highly cited articles of all time, a record of the science that has defined modern allergy and clinical immunology.

Editorial Leadership

According to the journal's official editorial-board page on ScienceDirect (Elsevier), the current Editor-in-Chief is Zuhair K. Ballas, MD (Iowa City, Iowa), who succeeded Donald Y.M. Leung, MD, PhD (editor-in-chief 1997–2015) in 2016. The Deputy Editors are David P. Huston, MD (Bryan, Texas) and Rachel L. Miller, MD (New York). The associate editors include Andrea J. Apter, Leonard B. Bacharier, Claus Bachert, Joshua A. Boyce, Javier Chinen, Raif S. Geha, Kenji Kabashima, Carole Ober, David B. Peden, Harald Renz, Marc E. Rothenberg, Hirohisa Saito, and Stephan Weidinger — a roster drawn from leading academic centers in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Note on a conflicting source: some secondary encyclopedia entries describe Cezmi A. Akdis and Zuhair K. Ballas as co-editors-in-chief. The publisher's own current editorial-board page lists a single Editor-in-Chief (Dr. Ballas) with two deputies, which is the more authoritative and more recent record; we follow it here.

Scope and Aims (Official)

The journal's official aims-and-scope statement (jacionline.org) reads, in full:

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology publishes high-impact, cutting-edge basic, clinical and translational research papers in Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Articles cover such topics as asthma, food allergy, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, primary immune deficiencies, occupational and environmental allergy, and other allergic and immunologic diseases, and include clinical trials and mechanistic studies that report on novel therapies, insights into underlying mechanisms, and other discoveries that will inform our understanding of these diseases and ultimately improve the diagnosis and management of patients.

Each monthly issue features the latest and best research in the allergy/immunology specialty, with a special interest in clinical medicine and in basic science as it translates into optimal patient care. The journal's subject coverage spans immunology, asthma, allergy, internal medicine, and immunoglobulin E biology, with concentrations in allergen science, the immune system, antibodies, antigens, and cytokines.

The JACI Family: Companion Titles

Authors are also invited to submit to the journal's two companion titles, which serve different niches:

• The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice — edited by Michael Schatz, MD, MS, focused on practical, clinically applicable allergy/immunology content.
• The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global — the gold open-access companion title, extending the JACI brand to fully open-access publishing.

Together the three titles cover the spectrum from high-impact mechanistic and clinical research (JACI) through practice-oriented content (In Practice) to open-access global reach (Global).

Journal Metrics — Read Them With Context

The following figures come from independent metric sources; always pair a metric with its reporting year:

JACI has consistently ranked at or near the top of the Allergy category for decades — it was ranked 1st of 25 in Allergy in the 2015 JCR (impact factor 12.485) — and it was described in its own pages as "the most frequently cited allergy/immunology journal in the field." That sustained top-tier standing across multiple decades is the journal's defining metric story.

Open access and publishing model: the journal itself is a subscription title; authors seeking open access can publish gold open access in the companion title JACI: Global. The journal's article processing charge for open-access options has been reported around USD 4,000 — confirm the current figure in the Elsevier guide for authors before submitting, as fees change.

Landmark Papers Published in JACI

The journal's 90th-anniversary retrospective named the most impactful articles since 1971, and tabulated the most highly cited articles in JACI's history. The papers below are drawn from that official retrospective; every DOI was verified to resolve through Crossref.

Most impactful articles (chronological)

• Robinson D, Hamid Q, Bentley A, Ying S, Kay AB, Durham SR (1993). "Activation of CD4+ T cells, increased TH2-type cytokine mRNA expression, and eosinophil recruitment in bronchoalveolar lavage after allergen inhalation challenge in patients with atopic asthma." doi:10.1016/0091-6749(93)90175-F — a foundational demonstration of the TH2/eosinophil axis in human asthma.
• Sampson HA, Ho DG (1997). "Relationship between food-specific IgE concentrations and the risk of positive food challenges in children and adolescents." doi:10.1016/S0091-6749(97)70133-7 — established how food-specific IgE levels predict the outcome of oral food challenges.
• Busse W, Corren J, Lanier BQ, McAlary M, Fowler-Taylor A, Van As A, et al. (2001). "Omalizumab, anti-IgE recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of severe allergic asthma." doi:10.1067/mai.2001.117880 — the pivotal trial of the first anti-IgE biologic, which reshaped severe asthma therapy.
• Moller C, Dreborg S, Ferdousi HA, Halken S, Høst A, Jacobsen L, et al. (2002). "Pollen immunotherapy reduces the development of asthma in children with seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis (the PAT-Study)." doi:10.1067/mai.2002.121317 — showed allergen immunotherapy can prevent the development of asthma in at-risk children.
• Du Toit G, Katz Y, Sasieni P, Mesher D, Maleki SJ, Fisher HR, et al. (2008). "Early consumption of peanuts in infancy is associated with a low prevalence of peanut allergy." doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2008.08.039 — the observational study that set the stage for the LEAP trial and the reversal of peanut-avoidance guidance worldwide.

Most highly cited articles in JACI history

• Bousquet J, Van Cauwenberge P, Khaltaev N (2001). "Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma (ARIA)." J Allergy Clin Immunol. 108:S147–S334. doi:10.1067/mai.2001.118891 — the ARIA workshop report, the single most-cited article in the journal's history (over 2,000 citations in the anniversary tabulation).
• Fantuzzi G (2005). "Adipose tissue, adipokines, and inflammation." doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2005.02.023 — linked obesity, adipokines, and inflammatory mechanisms relevant to asthma and allergy.
• Johansson SGO, Bieber T, Dahl R, Friedmann PS, Lanier BQ, Lockey RF, et al. (2004). "Revised nomenclature for allergy for global use: Report of the Nomenclature Review Committee of the World Allergy Organization, October 2003." doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2003.12.591 — the globally adopted terminology standard for allergy.
• Nathan RA, Sorkness CA, Kosinski M, Schatz M, Li JT, Marcus P, et al. (2004). "Development of the Asthma Control Test: A survey for assessing asthma control." doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2003.09.008 — introduced the Asthma Control Test (ACT), now used worldwide in clinical practice and research.
• National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (2007). "Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR-3): Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma — summary report 2007." doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2007.09.043 — the landmark US asthma guidelines summary.
• Bock SA, Muñoz-Furlong A, Sampson HA (2001). "Fatalities due to anaphylactic reactions to foods." doi:10.1067/mai.2001.112031 — a sobering registry study of fatal food anaphylaxis that shaped food-allergy risk management.
• Liacouras CA, Furuta GT, Hirano I, Atkins D, Attwood SE, Bonis PA, et al. (2011). "Eosinophilic esophagitis: Updated consensus recommendations for children and adults." doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2011.02.040 — the consensus that standardized diagnosis and management of eosinophilic esophagitis.

Publishing in JACI

JACI is one of the most selective journals in its field — the AAAAI's own materials note its impact factor placed it 6th of 150 in immunology in some years — and it seeks work that will change practice or understanding. The journal publishes original articles, reviews, clinical trials, and mechanistic studies; it also recognizes outstanding work by early-career researchers through the AAAAI Award for Outstanding Research Published in the JACI by a Developing Researcher (unrestricted prize of $1,500 with a commemorative plaque, up to four awardees per year, presented at the Academy's annual meeting).

• Scope fit: The journal wants high-impact basic, clinical, and translational papers in allergy, asthma, and immunology — novel therapies, mechanistic insight, and discoveries that improve diagnosis or management of patients. Confirm your work aligns with topics such as asthma, food allergy, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, primary immune deficiencies, or occupational/environmental allergy.
• Selectivity: As a top-3 allergy journal, expect rigorous peer review and a high bar for novelty; submit your strongest work and consider the companion titles (In Practice for applied clinical content, Global for gold open access) if the fit is better there.
• Author guidelines: Submissions go through Elsevier's Editorial Manager; follow the guide for authors on reference style, disclosures, and article-type requirements exactly — non-compliant manuscripts may be returned without review.
• Indexing: Indexed in Scopus, Web of Science (SCIE), PubMed, and Embase, so published papers are widely discoverable.

Is This Journal Right for Your Paper?

• Audience match: JACI's readers are the allergists, immunologists, and physician-scientists who will cite and apply your findings — the single largest concentrated audience in the allergy/immunology specialty.
• Impact vs. risk: Publication here carries exceptional visibility, but the bar is correspondingly high; balance prestige against your timeline and the strength of the result.
• Clinical relevance: The journal explicitly favors work that informs diagnosis and management — mechanistic studies should connect clearly to patient care.
• Career signal: A JACI paper is a recognized marker of quality in allergy/immunology careers, from fellowship applications to promotion dossiers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ISSN of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology?
Print ISSN 0091-6749; online ISSN 1097-6825.

Who publishes JACI?
It is published under the Mosby imprint (Elsevier) and is an official journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI).

Who is the editor-in-chief of JACI?
Zuhair K. Ballas, MD, succeeded Donald Y.M. Leung (1997–2015) in 2016, per the publisher's official editorial-board page.

When was JACI founded?
1929, as the Journal of Allergy; it took its current name in 1971.

What is JACI's impact factor?
It varies by JCR year: 14.29 (2021), 14.2 (2022), and 11.2 (2024, ranking 3rd of 39 in Allergy and 11th of 183 in Immunology). Always cite the year.

What are JACI: In Practice and JACI: Global?
Companion titles of JACI — In Practice (edited by Michael Schatz) for applied clinical content and Global as the gold open-access title.

What is the most-cited paper in JACI history?
The ARIA workshop report "Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma" (Bousquet, Van Cauwenberge & Khaltaev, 2001), per the journal's own 90th-anniversary tabulation.

Is JACI open access?
The main journal is subscription-based; the companion title JACI: Global is gold open access.

JACI and the AAAAI: A Society Journal in Practice

As an official journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, JACI is woven into the professional life of the specialty. The AAAAI's annual meeting is the field's central gathering, and the journal and the meeting reinforce each other: major trials are frequently presented at the meeting and published in the journal, and the Academy's awards — including the Developing Researcher award for outstanding JACI publications — create a visible pipeline from early-career work to journal recognition. Academy members encounter the journal as part of their professional identity, which helps explain its unusually loyal authorship and readership.

The society relationship also shapes the journal's content mix. Because the Academy's membership spans clinicians and scientists, JACI must serve both: the practicing allergist looking for guidance on food-allergy management and the basic immunologist dissecting TH2 signaling. The journal's enduring success reflects how well it has balanced those two audiences across nearly a century — publishing the ARIA workshop report and the EPR-3 asthma guidelines alongside mechanistic studies of CD4+ T cell activation.

JACI's Influence on Clinical Guidelines

Few journals can claim to have published the documents that define standard of care, but JACI has done so repeatedly. The 2001 ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) workshop report remains the journal's most-cited article and underpins how allergic rhinitis is classified and managed worldwide. The 2007 Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR-3) summary gave US clinicians the asthma-management framework used for over a decade. The 2004 World Allergy Organization nomenclature report standardized the language of allergy globally — a quiet but profound contribution, since inconsistent terminology had hampered the field for decades. The 2011 eosinophilic esophagitis consensus recommendations defined a disease entity that many clinicians had barely heard of a decade earlier. For authors, the lesson is that JACI is a venue where consensus statements and guidelines carry exceptional weight and reach.

Indexing, Discovery, and Citation

JACI is indexed in Scopus, Web of Science (Science Citation Index Expanded), PubMed, and Embase, and its articles carry DOIs under prefixes including 10.1016/j.jaci, 10.1067/mai, and the historic 10.1016/0091-6749 series. Use the ISO 4 abbreviation J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. when citing. Because older landmark papers use the "mai" (Mosby Allergy Immunology) DOI prefix, citation managers sometimes fail to resolve them automatically — verify DOI links manually for pre-2003 references.

Frequently Asked Questions (continued)

What does JACI stand for?
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology — the standard abbreviation is J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.

How often is JACI published?
Monthly, 12 issues per year.

What is the difference between JACI and the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice?
JACI is the flagship, publishing high-impact basic, clinical, and translational research; In Practice focuses on practical, clinically applicable content for the practicing allergist.

Does JACI recognize early-career researchers?
Yes — the AAAAI Award for Outstanding Research Published in the JACI by a Developing Researcher carries an unrestricted $1,500 prize and a commemorative plaque, with up to four awardees per year.

DEPTH-143-OCT2026