A Comparison of Sensitization Rates of Inhalant Allergen Between Tangerine Farm and Non-Tangerine Farm Communities

Abstract

PP-31-078 Background/Aims: According to the surveys, Jeju Province, despite being a clean area, has a significantly higher rate of receiving medical treatments of atopic diseases called environmental diseases such as atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis. This study tries to provide a basic data for finding some factors of allergic development, by comparing the relations of tangerine farming in Jeju Province. Methods: For this purpose, the total students of 2 elementary schools in a tangerine farming community and one in non-tangerine farming were sampled. Under their parents' agreement, skin prick tests were conducted on the 1284 children (82.3%) of the total 1550 students. The skin prick test applies 16 kinds of inhalant allergen with 22G needles. The skin prick tests were conducted on 19 May and 5 June, 2009. Diagnostic allergen extracts of citrus red mite were personally manufactured and applied. The size of wheal due to histamine (A/H ratio ≥ 1) was evaluated as positive. The wheals that were less than 2 mm in diameter due to histamine and the ones observed in the negative contrast group were excluded from validity study. Results: The valid subjects among the 1284 children in total were 1041 (81.1%) children, whose average ages were 9.6 ± 1.6 and the males were 50.2%. The sensitization rate for more than 1 allergen was 41.9%. It can be ordered into D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, cedar, Mould 1, Tyrophagus, Grass, and citrus red mite. The sensitization rates tended to be significantly on increase in proportion with their ages. The significant antigens of sensitization rate in the tangerine farming community were ordered into citrus red mite, cedar, Tyrophagus, cockroaches, D. farinae, Animal hair 1, and Trees 2. As for the non-tangerine farming community, only Mould 1 showed significant sensitization rates. The comparison of more than 1 sensitization rates of allergen showed higher sensitization rate (P = 0.004) in the tangerine farming community (47.5%) than in the non-tangerine farming community (38.4%). Despite the correction of genders and ages, the sensitization rate of allergen showed significant differences. Conclusion: More than one sensitization rate of the 16 inhalant allergens showed 41.9%. The tangerine farming community shows higher sensitization rate than the non-tangerine farming community. Above all, the tangerine farming community shows the sensitization rate of the allergens of citrus red mites and cedars related to tangerine farming. These allergens are assumed to be the main allergens developing atopic diseases. Therefore, this suggests that the control methods should be found by studying the mechanism of sensitization rates of allergens.