Abstract:

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of the aeroallergens sensitivity among children with allergic rhinitis in the province of Istanbul in Turkey, based on skin prick test (SPT) reactivity. Methods: This study, including 729 AR patients with positive SPT, was conducted in three age groups. SPT with extracts including pollens, house dust mites (HDMs), animal dander's (ADs) and molds was performed on these patients. All these patients have a positive reaction to at least one allergen with SPT. Results: The allergen prevalence of 729 patients with positive SPT results was 33% for HDMs, 31% for pollen, 19% for molds and 17% for ADs. The sensitivity to aeroallergens significantly decreased as the age increased (p<0.01). Both outdoor and indoor allergen positivity in preschool children (Group 1) were 89 (43.4%) and in adolescent children (Group 3) were 32 (15.6%), and also sensitivity to allergens significantly decreased according to increase of age (p<0.01). Conclusion: We provided regional allergens profile of children with AR in Istanbul. Avoiding exposure to allergens and finding the best formulation of allergen immunotherapy for AR are important steps in the clinical management of patients.

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