Sensitization to Common Allergens Among Children with Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis in Qatar

Abstract

Background: Childhood asthma (A) and allergic rhinitis (AR) are common in Qatar. Aeroallergens sensitization is integral in disease pathogenesis and clinical presentation. Determining sensitization patterns assists clinicians in tailoring an efficient medical management. Objective: To determine the aeroallergen sensitization pattern and relationship to clinical parameters. Methods: A retrospective review of children (2-14-years) files with i) Pediatric Allergist/or Pulmonologist confirmed-diagnosis of A, and AR, and ii) positive skin prick test (SPT). Results: Among 473 patients (69.1% males; 30.9% females), aged 7.6 years, family history was positive in 66.3%: 59.4% in A, 64.2% AR, and 78.2% A-AR. The number of allergens/ patients was 2.1±1.7. Median eosinophil count was 400 cells/ul and IgE 287 KU/L. Rates of A, AR, and A-AR varied significantly in children ≤5 years compared to >10 years: A was 43.2% vs 17.8%, and AR 34.5% vs 16.4%. Two hundred and four children (43.1%) were mono-sensitized, 215 (45.5%) oligosensitized (2-3 allergens), and 54 (11.4%) polysensitized (≥4 allergens). A-AR ranked the top number of positive allergens. The commonest aeroallergen was Der p1 (38.1%), followed by Der f (29.0%), cat (22.6%), alternaria (18.8%), American cockroach (18.4%), and dog (14.0%). House dust mite (HDM) and American cockroach were commoner in ≤5 years than older >10-year children (52.5%, 24.1%), while cat and dog allergens were commoner in older ones (37.1%, 21.6%). Conclusion:Family history is quite positive in patients with A and AR. Common aeroallergens include HDM, cats, and alternaria in the young children, while animal allergens were commoner in the older children.

Detection and assessment of dust mite allergens in an indoor environment in Anhui, China

“…Family history was quite positive in patients with childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis and common aeroallergens including HDMs, cats, and Alternaria were common in young children, while animal allergens were common in older children. Our observation is consistent with the results described above (Zahraldin et al 2021 ) . Our observation is consistent with the results described above.…”

Prevalence of allergen sensitization among 1248 children with allergic rhinitis in Changzhou, China

“…Some studies have demonstrated that allergic diseases are more common in females than in males [23,24] , while other studies have reported higher allergen sensitization rates in men than in women [25,26] . We found no sex differences in the positivity rate of inhaled and food allergens, which is consistent with the ndings in some previous studies [27,28] . The reason for the difference remains unclear and further studies should be conducted to explain any observed sex-related differences.…”

Associations of Four sensitization patterns revealed by Latent Class Analysis with Clinical symptoms: A multi-center study of China

“…China has the largest population around the world and wide geographical distribution in Asia, which results in significant individual heterogeneity of the associations between sensitization panels and clinical performance. 17 Though several studies have confirmed the causal associations of atopic sensitization with asthma, rhinitis or dermatitis in China, 30 , 31 most of them just focused on specific allergens on the risk of clinical symptoms and neglected the combined effects of allergens. Therefore, it's necessary to identify sensitization clusters of common allergens and further to investigate their complex relationship with allergy symptoms among the Chinese population using such machine learning methodologies.…”