J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol.  1999 Oct;19(5):696-702.

Change of causative inhalant allergens in respiratory allergic patients in Chungbuk district

• Kim MK
• Oh SW

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Detection of causative allergens in respiratory allergy patients is important for diagnosis and selection of treatment modality. Allergen sensitization depends on the genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to allergens. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In this study, we tried to find causative inhalant allergens in respiratory allergy patients who underwent skin prick test with common 55 inhalant allergens and RAST at Chungbuk National University Hospital in Chungbuk district. We also evaluated the changes of causative allergens because the environment here may be quite different, since the main population lives in the urban area and industrialization began later than in the other cities and districts.
RESULTS
The major allergen was house dust mite, and its sensitivity rate did not change annually. Other indoor allergens such as cockroach, and animal dander including cat and dog showed similar trends. But the sensitization rate to tree and weed pollen except grass had significantly increased since 1995. Among pollens, the increase of sensntization to weed pollen was more marked. Ratio of sensitization rate to double or triple kinds of allergens also increased.
CONCLUSION
Taken together, house dust mite is still the major allergen, but rate to pollen sensitization, especially to weed pollen has increased rapidly and significantly. It is suggested that causative allergens in repiratory allergy patients has begun to shift to pollen recently.

Keyword

respiratory allergy; causative allergens; increase of sensitization rate to pollen

MeSH Terms

Allergens*
Animals
Cats
Chungcheongbuk-do*
Cockroaches
Dander
Diagnosis
Dogs
Environmental Exposure
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Poaceae
Pollen
Pyroglyphidae
Skin
Allergens