Background:The pathogenesis of asthma is associated with both genetic and environmental factors. Allergen sensitization is an important risk factor in asthma development. Aim: To evaluate sensitivity to allergens by using the skin prick test in patients with a diagnosis of bronchial asthma. Method: Patients with a diagnosis of bronchial asthma followed-up at the Ministry of Health, Diskapi Children's Diseases Training and Research Hospital in Ankara (Turkey) between January 1995 and March 2000 were included. Sensitivity to allergens, as determined by the skin prick test, was evaluated retrospectively. Results: The files of a total of 3025 children (63.3 % boys) with bronchial asthma, aged 3 months to 16 years were evaluated. Of the total, 1667 patients with a diagnosis of bronchial asthma and 1358 with bronchial asthma plus allergic rhinitis were under follow-up. Of the 3025 asthmatic patients, 1902 had undergone the skin prick test and 60.3 % of these patients were atopic. The most common allergens were house dust mite [726 patients (63.3 %)], followed by pollens [565 patients (49.3 %)]. The most common allergen within this group was grass pollens [348 patients (30.3 %)]. Conclusions: Atopy was an important risk factor in our patients and the most common allergens were aeroallegens. The development of sensitization could be delayed by early precautions.
In a sample of Turkish children, FLG R501X genotyping revealed no risk alleles in variable severities of AD or healthy controls. Our data suggest that IgG and IgA levels might have a role in phenotypic features of AD in terms of severity and atopic sensitisation.
The PAQLQ total scores were significantly higher in the specific immunotherapy group (p<0.001). Apart from emotional function domain scores; symptoms domain and activity limitation domain scores were higher in the specific immunotherapy group. Emotional function domain scores were similar in the two groups (p>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in pulmonary function testing results between the two groups (p>0.05). There was a linear correlation between FEV1%, FVC level and total and domain scores of PAQLQ with Spearman Correlation tests.
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