A Study of Allergic Sensitization to Eight Common Allergens in Pediatric Patients With Nasobronchial Allergy

Abstract

This observational study was done in Department of Pediatrics to see the sensitization pattern among 128 allergic children clinically identified. Eight common Allergens were selected for Skin Prick Testing (SPT). Results were analysed and correlated with other clinical factors. Overall, SPT positivity to one or more Allergen was found in 85.71% of study population. All common Allergen in decreasing order of proportion of sensitivity were cockroach(61.71%), house dust (58.59%), holoptelea (52.34%), prosposis (52.34%), parthenium (47.65%), A. fumigates (48.43%), A. alternate (42.96%), A. niger (38.28%). It was also found that 111 (86.7%) patients had positive response to atleast 1 Allergen and poly-sensitization was more common, observed in 78.9% patients. As Burlingtonent clinical score increase from <8 to >8, there is increase in SPT positivity with different Allergens, but there is no rational trend between higher scores (8-12, 13-20 and >20) and SPT positivity. Group of patients, who shows seasonal variation of symptoms, family history of Allergy and residing in industrial areas etc, also showed variable SPT sensitization pattern. KEYWORDS: Skin prick test, sensitization, Allergens, Pediatric patients. INTRODUCTION:The concept of Allergy was introduced by Clemens von pirquet in 1906. (1) Kimishige (2) and co-workers were the first to isolate and describe IgE in 1960 that was the major breakthrough in the understanding the mechanism of Allergy. Philip gell and coombs, (3) designed the scheme of four type of hypersensitivity reaction known as type I to type IV. (4) The word Allergy was restricted to type I hypersensitivity. Asthma and Allergic conditions such as Allergic rhinitis are major public health problems, prevalence is 10-30% in different geographical areas, according to the world Allergy organization report. (5) In our country 20-30% of population suffers from Allergic rhinitis (6) and about 1/3 of them suffer from Bronchial Asthma. There are numbers of Allergen groups, that may cause Allergic symptoms, like pollen grains fungal spores, insect debris, house dust mites, animal dander, chemicals, and foods etc. (6)(7)(8)(9) Among these pollen grains and fungal spores are the most important Allergens in the air. (8-10) Allergic disorders are diagnosed by number of tests including skin Allergy testing and serum Allergy testing which is bioassay that detect presence of Allergen specific IgE on patients' blood/ mast cells. (2) Allergy skin testing can be percutaneous (Scratch, puncture or prick technique) and intradermal technique. [11,12] Skin Prick Testing technique have good sensitivity and specificity [13] to find out common Allergen in Pediatric patients. Common Allergens for children are house dust, cockroach, parthenium, holoptelea, prosposis, aspergillus fumigates, apergillus niger, alternaria alternate. (6)(7)(8)(9) In our study we tried to find out the correlation between clinical suspicion of Allergy and Allergy skin prick testing (SPT), as well as direct correlation between increasing sy...

A Study of Skin Sensitivity for Common Allergens in Patients of Nasobronchial Allergy in North India

“…Prasad et al 13 in another study reported a positivity rate of 89.6%. Tikkas et al 15 too in their study reported positivity rate of 85.71%. In our study, the most common allergen came out to be insects (26.15%), followed by dust mites (20.7%), dusts (7.4%), pollens (5.9%), fungus (5.2%), danders (3.84%), and silk (2.22%).…”

Sensitization pattern to various common allergens, using allergy skin prick test in children suffering from asthma and allergic rhinitis attending asthma outpatient department, at a tertiary care hospital in Central India

“…Similar results were seen in the study by Tikkas et al where Cockroach was the commonest antigen with positive skin prick test (61.71%) followed by House dust (58.59%), Holoptelea (52.34%), Prosopis and Parthenium (47.65%) though the percentage positivity was less as compared to our study. 19 Nagarjuna et al reported a very high sensitization rate to D. pteronyssinus (80%). 18 Though in this study also D. farinae positivity was the 2nd most common the percentage is more than our study (68.5% as against 39.4%).…”

“…19 Other studies did not show such high sensitization rate. In a hospital-based study done by Dey et al in Kolkata where skin prick test was used to study common environmental allergens in children with asthma and allergic rhinitis, they found a sensitization rate of 57.5% only 20.…”