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Kim, Seo, Jung, Lee, Yang, Ha, Kwon, Lim, Kim, Lee, Park, Lim, Lee, Kim, Choi, Yu, Kim, Yu, Lee, and Hong: Sensitization rates to inhalant allergens in children and adolescents of Incheon and Asan area and the relationship between polysensitization and prevalence of allergic diseases
Original Article
Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease

Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease 2013; 1(1): 41-49.

Published online: 31 March 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2013.1.1.41

Sensitization rates to inhalant allergens in children and adolescents of Incheon and Asan area and the relationship between polysensitization and prevalence of allergic diseases

Hyung Young Kim1, Ju-Hee Seo2, Young-Ho Jung3, 4, Eun Lee3, 4, Song I Yang3, 4, Mina Ha5, Ho-Jang Kwon5, Jong-Han Lim6, Hwan-Chul Kim6, Kee Jae Lee7, Inho Park8, Young-Wook Lim9, Jong-Hyun Lee10, Yeni Kim11, Youn-Hee Choi12, Jeesuk Yu13, Jeongseon Kim14, Seung-Do Yu15, Bo-Eun Lee15, Soo-Jong Hong3, 4

1Department of Pediatrics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.

2Department of Pediatrics, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

3Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

4Childhood Asthma Atopy Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

5Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.

6Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Korea.

7Department of Information Statistics, Korean National Open University, College of Natural Science, Seoul, Korea.

8Department of Statistics, Bukyong National University, College of Natural Science, Busan, Korea.

9Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.

10Institute of Environmental Safety and Protection, Neo Environmental Business Co., Bucheon, Korea.

11Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, National Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

12Department of Preventive Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, School of Dentistry, Daegu, Korea.

13Department of Pediatrics, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.

14Cancer Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.

15Department of Environmental Health Research, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon, Korea.

Correspondence to: Soo-Jong Hong. Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea. Tel: +82-2-3010-3379, Fax: +82-2-473-3725, sjhong@amc.seoul.kr

Received 9 January 2013       Revised 15 March 2013       Accepted 22 March 2013

© 2013 The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease; The Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/).

Abstract

Purpose

Sensitization to allergens is considered as major mechanism of allergy and related to the development of allergic diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate overall sensitization rates of inhalant allergens and the relationship between polysensitization and prevalence of allergic diseases in children and adolescents.

Methods

A cross-sectional pilot study of 122 elementary school students, 114 middle school students, and 115 high school students from Incheon and Asan was conducted by using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISSAC) questionnaire. The skin prick tests were performed with 14 common inhalant allergens on 339 students.

Results

The inhalant allergen that has a significantly different sensitization rate according to age was Dermatophagoides farinae. And the inhalant allergen that has significantly different sensitization rate according to region was Japanese hop. In addition, girls have higher sensitization rate to any mold allergens than boys. In case of having sensitization more than two allergens, the risks of diagnosis of asthma and allergic rhinitis on questionnaire were increased. Asthma is related to sensitization of dog or cat and allergic rhinitis is related to sensitization of house dust mites. However, atopic dermatitis is not related to sensitization of any inhalant allergens.

Conclusion

The sensitization rates of inhalant allergens may differ among age, gender, and region in children and adolescents of Incheon and Asan area. The polysensitized children and adolescents with inhalant allergens showed higher prevalences of allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis on questionnaire than monosensitized group.

Keywords: Inhalant allergens, Skin prick test, Sensitization, Polysensitization

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
Comparison of total immunoglobulin E (IgE, A), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1, B) in nonsensitized, monosensitized and polysensitized groups. *P<0.05. **P<0.1.
aard-1-41-g001
Table 1
Subjects' characteristics
aard-1-41-i001

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%).

AR, allergic rhinitis; AD, atopic dermatitis.

*More than two sensitizations on skin prick test.

Table 2
Sensitization rates to common inhalant allergens according to age
aard-1-41-i002

Values are presented as number (%).

NA, not available.

*Fisher's exact test. †Indoor allergens include D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, cockroach, dog, and cat. ‡Pollen allergens include grass, alder, birch, oak, Japanese hop, mugwort, and ragweed. §Mold allergens include Alternaria and Aspergillus. ∥More than two sensitizations on skin prick test.

Table 3
Sensitization rates to common inhalant allergens according to region
aard-1-41-i003

Values are presented as number (%).

NA, not available.

*Fisher's exact test. †Indoor allergens include D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, cockroach, dog, and cat. ‡Pollen allergens include grass, alder, birch, oak, Japanese hop, mugwort, and ragweed. §Mold allergens include Alternaria and Aspergillus. ∥More than two sensitizations on skin prick test.

Table 4
Sensitization rates to common inhalant allergens according to gender
aard-1-41-i004

Values are presented as number (%).

NA, not available.

*Fisher's exact test. †Indoor allergens include D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, cockroach, dog, and cat. ‡Pollen allergens include grass, alder, birch, oak, Japanese hop, mugwort, and ragweed. §Mold allergens include Alternaria and Aspergillus. ∥More than two sensitizations on skin prick test.

Table 5
Sensitization rates to common inhalant allergens between children with asthma or allergic rhinitis and the others
aard-1-41-i005

Values are presented as number (%).

AS, asthma; AR, allergic rhinitis; NA, not available.

*Fisher's exact test. †Indoor allergens include D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, cockroach, dog, and cat. ‡Pollen allergens include grass, alder, birch, oak, Japanese hop, mugwort, and ragweed. §Mold allergens include Alternaria and Aspergillus. ∥More than two sensitizations on skin prick test.

Table 6
Relationship between allergen sensitization and diagnosis of asthma on questionnaire
aard-1-41-i006

Data were calculated by logistic regression multivariate analysis.

aOR, adjusted by age, sex, body mass index, environmental tobacco smoke, monthly income, and history of parental asthma; OR, odds ratio; NA, not available.

*Indoor allergens include D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, cockroach, dog, and cat. †Pollen allergens include grass, alder, birch, oak, Japanese hop, mugwort, and ragweed. ‡Mold allergens include Alternaria and Aspergillus. §More than two sensitizations on skin prick test.

Table 7
Relationship between allergen sensitization and diagnosis of allergic rhinitis on questionnaire
aard-1-41-i007

Data were calculated by logistic regression multivariate analysis.

OR, adjusted by age, sex, body mass index, environmental tobacco smoke, monthly income, and history of parental asthma; OR, odds ratio; NA, not available.

*Indoor allergens include D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, cockroach, dog, and cat. †Pollen allergens include grass, alder, birch, oak, Japanese hop, mugwort, and ragweed. ‡Mold allergens include Alternaria and Aspergillus. §More than two sensitizations on skin prick test.

Table 8
Relationship between allergen sensitization and diagnosis of atopic dermatitis on questionnaire
aard-1-41-i008

Data were calculated by logistic regression multivariate analysis.

aOR, adjusted by age, sex, body mass index, environmental tobacco smoke, monthly income, and history of parental asthma; OR, odds ratio; NA, not available.

*Indoor allergens include D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, cockroach, dog, and cat. †Pollen allergens include grass, alder, birch, oak, Japanese hop, mugwort, and ragweed. ‡Mold allergens include Alternaria and Aspergillus. §More than two sensitizations on skin prick test.

Notes

This study was financially supported by the National Institute of Environmental Research.

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