J Korean Med Sci.  2017 Jun;32(6):926-932. 10.3346/jkms.2017.32.6.926.

Regional Difference of Causative Pollen in Children with Allergic Rhinitis

• Sung M
• Kim SW
• Kim JH
• Lim DH

• KMID: 2377721
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2017.32.6.926

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate role of common pollen in Korean school-aged children with allergic rhinitis (AR) in 5 provinces (Incheon Metropolitan City-Gyeonggi Province, Chungcheongbuk-do, Gwangju Metropolitan City, Busan Metropolitan City, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province), using a questionnaire and skin prick test, and to assess the differences among the residential regions. Among the enrolled 14,678 total children, 1,641 (22.0%) had AR. The sensitization rate to pollen (38.7%) was the second highest among examined allergens and significant differences were in the sensitization rates to trees, weeds, and grasses among the 5 provinces (P < 0.05). The sensitization to trees (25.2%) was the highest common among the pollen types and significant differences also were observed in the sensitization rates to alder, birch, Japanese cedar, oak, and elm among the 5 provinces. The sensitization rate to weeds (19.9%) was the second highest and significant differences were observed in the sensitization rate to Japanese hop, mugwort, and ragweed among the 5 provinces. The sensitization rate to house dust mite was 86.8%, the highest among examined allergens and that to Dermatophagoides farinae exhibited regional differences (P = 0.003) but not to D. farinae (P = 0.584). The sensitization rate to mold (13.5%) was the highest in Jeju and lowest in Busan, and a statistically significant difference was detected among the 5 provinces. These results support that examined pollen allergens are strongly associated with residential region due to regional causative pollen differences among children with AR within Korea to investigate the main pollen allergens.

Keyword

Rhinitis; Pollen; Children; Region

MeSH Terms

Allergens
Alnus
Ambrosia
Artemisia
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Betula
Busan
Child*
Chungcheongbuk-do
Cryptomeria
Dermatophagoides farinae
Fungi
Gwangju
Humans
Korea
Poaceae
Pollen*
Pyroglyphidae
Rhinitis
Rhinitis, Allergic*
Skin
Trees
Allergens

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Sensitization rate of causative allergen in school-aged children with AR in 5 provinces, within Korea. (A) Pollen, (B) Tree, (C) Weed, (D) Grass, (E) House dust mite, and (F) Mold. AR = allergic rhinitis, GG & IC = Incheon Metropolitan City-Gyeonggi Province, CB = Chungcheongbuk-do, GJ = Gwangju Metropolitan City, BS = Busan Metropolitan City, JJ = Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.

Reference

1. Okubo K, Kurono Y, Fujieda S, Ogino S, Uchio E, Odajima H, Takenaka H. Japanese Society of Allergology. Japanese guideline for allergic rhinitis 2014. Allergol Int. 2014; 63:357–375.

2. Seong HU, Cho SD, Park SY, Yang JM, Lim DH, Kim JH, Son BK. Nationwide survey on the prevalence of allergic diseases according to region and age. Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis. 2012; 22:224–231.

3. Lee KS, Yum HY, Sheen YH, Park YM, Lee YJ, Choi BS, Jee HM, Choi SH, Kim HH, Park Y, et al. Comorbidities and phenotypes of rhinitis in Korean children and adolescents: a cross-sectional, multicenter study. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2017; 9:70–78.

4. Lee SI, Shin MH, Lee HB, Lee JS, Son BK, Koh YY, Kim KE, Ahn YO. Prevalences of symptoms of asthma and other allergic diseases in Korean children: a nationwide questionnaire survey. J Korean Med Sci. 2001; 16:155–164.

5. Hong SJ, Lee MS, Sohn MH, Shim JY, Han YS, Park KS, Ahn YM, Son BK, Lee HB. Korean ISAAC Study Group. Self-reported prevalence and risk factors of asthma among Korean adolescents: 5-year follow-up study, 1995-2000. Clin Exp Allergy. 2004; 34:1556–1562.

6. Lee HS, Lee J, Kim JW, Hong SC, Kim SY, Lee KH. The prevalence of allergic diseases in children living in Jeju. Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis. 2012; 22:248–255.

7. Kim DS, Park MR, Yu JS, Lee HS, Lee JH, Suh J, Kim J, Han Y, Lee SI, Ahn K. Prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergic rhinitis in elementary school children in Jinan-gun. Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis. 2012; 22:374–382.

8. Kim TB, Kim KM, Kim SH, Kang HR, Chang YS, Kim CW, Bahn JW, Kim YK, Kang HT, Cho SH, et al. Sensitization rates for inhalant allergens in Korea; a multi-center study. J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003; 23:483–493.

9. D’Amato G, Pawankar R, Vitale C, Lanza M, Molino A, Stanziola A, Sanduzzi A, Vatrella A, D’Amato M. Climate change and air pollution: effects on respiratory allergy. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2016; 8:391–395.

10. Park HJ, Lim HS, Park KH, Lee JH, Park JW, Hong CS. Changes in allergen sensitization over the last 30 years in Korea respiratory allergic patients: a single-center. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2014; 6:434–443.

11. Kim JH, Oh JW, Lee HB, Kim SW, Kang IJ, Kook MH, Kim BS, Park KS, Baek HS, Kim KR, et al. Changes in sensitization rate to weed allergens in children with increased weeds pollen counts in Seoul metropolitan area. J Korean Med Sci. 2012; 27:350–355.

12. Kim J, Hahm MI, Lee SY, Kim WK, Chae Y, Park YM, Han MY, Lee KJ, Kwon HJ, Jung JA, et al. Sensitization to aeroallergens in Korean children: a population-based study in 2010. J Korean Med Sci. 2011; 26:1165–1172.

13. Kim Y, Seo JH, Kwon JW, Lee E, Yang SI, Cho HJ, Ha M, Burm E, Lee KJ, Kim HC, et al. The prevalence and risk factors of allergic rhinitis from a nationwide study of Korean elementary, middle, and high school students. Allergy Asthma Respir Dis. 2015; 3:272–280.

14. Jung YH, Hwang KH, Yang SI, Lee E, Kim KH, Kim MJ, Park GM, Seo JH, Kim HY, Yu J, et al. Changes of aeroallergen sensitization in children with asthma or allergic rhinitis from a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul over 10 years. Allergy Asthma Respir Dis. 2014; 2:97–102.

15. Jeon BH, Lee J, Kim JH, Kim JW, Lee HS, Lee KH. Atopy and sensitization rates to aeroallergens in children and teenagers in Jeju, Korea. Korean J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010; 30:14–20.

16. Lee MH, Hong SC, Kim TB, Son SW, Jang YS, Kim SH, Chung JW, Kim YK, Cho SH, Min KU, et al. A prospective study of asthma prevalence and atopy rate in children living in rural area of Cheju Island for 3 years. Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis. 2001; 11:224–232.

17. Choi HS, Cho JS, Choo JH, Ko WK, Ahn HY. Allergic rhinitis to Japanese cedar in Cheju Island. Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg. 1999; 42:1129–1133.

18. Mehulić M, Mehulić K, Vuljanko IM, Kukulj S, Grle SP, Vukić AD, Barisić B, Plavec D. Changing pattern of sensitization in Croatia to aeroallergens in adult population referring to allergy clinic during a period of 15 years. Coll Antropol. 2011; 35:529–536.

19. Movérare R, Kosunen TU, Haahtela T. Change in the pattern of IgE reactivity to timothy grass and birch pollen allergens over a 20-year period. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2006; 16:274–278.

20. Sung MS, Park YJ, Park GH, Oh JW, Kim SW. The correlation between allergy sensitization rate in pediatric and aerobiological study for airborne pollen in Busan for 15 years. Allergy Asthma Respir Dis. 2014; 2:38–47.

21. Nilsson S, Praglowski J, Nilsson N. Atlas of Airborne Pollen Grains and Spores in Northern Europe. Stockholm: Natur och Kultur;1977.

22. Jin Y, Wang W, Xu Y, Zhao J, Liu H, Xue S. Familial aggregation of skin sensitization to aeroallergens in a rural area in China. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2009; 148:81–86.

23. Dibek Misirlioğlu E, Reha Cengizlier M. Skin prick test results of child patients diagnosed with bronchial asthma. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2007; 35:21–24.

24. Park HJ, Lee JH, Park KH, Ann HW, Jin MN, Choi SY, Lee YW, Hong CS, Park JW. A nationwide survey of inhalant allergens sensitization and levels of indoor major allergens in Korea. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2014; 6:222–227.

25. Chew FT, Zhang L, Ho TM, Lee BW. House dust mite fauna of tropical Singapore. Clin Exp Allergy. 1999; 29:201–206.

26. Fernández-Caldas E, Lockey RF. Blomia tropicalis, a mite whose time has come. Allergy. 2004; 59:1161–1164.

27. Cho BK, Houh W. The mite fauna of Korean house dust (I). Korean J Dermatol. 1977; 15:133–140.

28. Ree HI, Jeon SH, Lee IY, Hong CS, Lee DK. Fauna and geographical distribution of house dust mites in Korea. Korean J Parasitol. 1997; 35:9–17.

29. Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (KR) [Internet]. accessed on 1 December 2014. Available at http://english.jeju.go.kr/.