Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2003 Jan;46(1):48-53.

Clinical Statistical Study on Offending Allergens of Patients with Allergic Rhinitis: Prevalence of Multiple Sensitization

• Yu YI
• Cho JS
• Lee KH
• Kim KH
• Hong SM
• Kim SW

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The incidence of allergic rhinitis and the kinds of offending allergens in our environment are varying as the way of life changes with urbanization and industrialization. Therefore, knowledge of the relationship between allergic rhinitis and the offending allergen is crucial for therapeutic judgment. The purpose of this study was to find out the incidence and distribution of offending allergens and investigate the prevalence of multiple sensitization on patients with allergic rhinitis. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Allergic skin test and multiple allergosorbent chemiluminescent assay (MAST-CLA) was performed for 1, 705 allergic rhinitis patients from Jan. 1998 to Dec. 2001 at the allergy clinic, Kyung Hee university Hospital. and a retrospective study was done by reviewing the result. RESULTS: Common offending allergens were Dermatopgagoides farinae (D. farinae), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (D. pteronyssinus), various pollens, dog hair, cockroach, and cat hair. Common offending seasonal allergens were ragweed, mugwort, rye, timothy grass, and Bermuda grass. The most common combination of allergens was mites with animal danders. Nineteen point three percent of the patients were sensitized to both perennial and seasonal type of allergens. Thirty point eight percent of patients with PAR (perennial allergic rhinitis) and 66.7% of patients with SAR (seasonal allergic rhinitis) were sensitized to multiple allergen. The prevalence of mixed sensitization to both perennial and seasonal allergen is 19.3% in allergic rhinitis. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of multiple sensitization in allergic rhinitis is 52.7%.

Keyword

Allergic rhinitis; Allergen; Multiple sensitization

MeSH Terms

Allergens*
Ambrosia
Animals
Artemisia
Cats
Climacteric
Cockroaches
Cynodon
Dander
Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
Dogs
Hair
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Incidence
Judgment
Luminescent Measurements
Mites
Phleum
Pollen
Prevalence*
Retrospective Studies
Rhinitis*
Seasons
Secale cereale
Skin Tests
Statistics as Topic*
Urbanization
Industrial Development
Allergens