Determination of allergen of allergic rhinitis among furniture workers in Lecong area of Foshan

Abstract

Objective To determine the positive distribution of allergen of allergic rhinitis among furniture workers in Lecong area of Foshan. Methods Five hundred patients (furniture workers) with allergic rhinitis, who were treated in the Otolaryngology Department of our hospital between January 2014 and June 2016, were included as the study group. A contemporary cohort of 500 patients (non-furniture workers) with allergic rhinitis, who were treated in our hospital, was included as the control group. The tests of serum total IgE level and serum-specific allergen and allergen skin prick test were performed in the patients. The positive distribution of inhaled allergens in both groups was examined. The consistency of the two allergen determinations was analyzed. Results The positive rates of serum total IgE in the study group and the control group were 95.6% (478/500) and 92.8% (464/500) , respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (χ2=3.59, P>0.05). The findings of the serum-specific allergen test and allergen skin prick test showed that the allergen positive rate of mites (dermatophagoides farinae, house dust mites and tropical mites) in the two groups was the highest. The allergen positive rates of mites, German cockroaches, Alternaria spp, Cladosporium herbarum, trees, weeds and fungus in the study groups were higher than those in the control group (all P 0.6). Conclusion Compared with non-furniture workers, the allergen positive rates (such as mites) in furniture workers with allergic rhinitis increase. Key words: Furniture workers; Allergic rhinitis; Allergens