Prevalence Of Skin Prick Test Research Articles

Study of causal aeroallergens in allergic rhinitis

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis requires a detailed history, thorough clinical examination and identification of aeroallergens by skin prick test. The diagnosis cannot be confirmed on the basis of symptoms alone because both allergic and non-allergic rhinitis can present with similar symptoms. The present study was undertaken to identify the common aeroallergens causing allergic rhinitis and to find any relationship of the severity of patient’s symptoms with raised levels of absolute eosinophil count, percentage of eosinophils in the peripheral blood and total serum IgE.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> It is cross sectional study was conducted among 100 patients including both the genders attending out-patient department of ENT. The patients were divided into mild, moderate and severe disease categories based on nasal symptom score (NSS) which was calculated taking into account the severity of four symptoms namely sneezing, watery rhinorrhoea, itching sensation in nose and nasal obstruction. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> 76% of patients had moderate nasal symptom score and 42% had symptoms of allergic rhinitis for less than 3 years. The prevalence of skin prick test was strongly positive for pollens (46.19%), followed by dust (16.4%), dust mites (15.7%), fungus (9.7%), insects (9.24%) and epithelia (2.77%). But, among 68 aeroallergens, most common offending allergen was D-farinae (30%). There was no significant relationship found to exist between Eosinophilia, Absolute eosinophil count and serum IgE level with that of nasal symptom score.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Skin prick test is the gold standard investigation of choice for definitive diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.</p><p class="abstract"> </p>

The Prevalence of Food Sensitization Appears Not to Have Changed between 2 Melbourne Cohorts of High-Risk Infants Recruited 15 Years Apart

Although food allergy has probably risen over recent decades, recent reports suggest that the prevalence of food sensitization in the general population has not changed. However, this has not been analyzed in infants at high risk of food allergy. The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of food sensitization in high-risk infants from 2 cohorts recruited 15 years apart in the same region. This study includes 620 high-risk infants with a family history of allergy (Melbourne Atopy Cohort Study [MACS]) born 1990-1994, and a subgroup of high-risk infants from the population-based HealthNuts study (n= 3,661/5,276), born 2006-2010. Both studies undertook skin prick tests (SPT) to peanut, egg, and milk at age 12 months. A logistic regression model generated adjusted prevalences to account for differences in sampling frame. SPT ≥ 95% positive predictive values (PPVs) for food allergy were used as proxies for food allergy. The adjusted prevalence of sensitization in MACS was similar to the observed prevalence of sensitization in the high-risk subgroup of HealthNuts: 7.9% (95% confidence interval 6.8-8.9) and 7.9% (7.0-8.8) respectively for peanut, 15.0% (13.4-16.6) and 14.5% (13.4-15.7) respectively for egg, and 2.4% (1.6-3.1) and 2.6% (2.0-3.4) respectively for cow's milk. The prevalence of SPT ≥ 95% PPVs was similar between the 2 studies. The prevalence of food sensitization among high-risk infants has remained stable in Australia since the 1990s, despite the reported increase in food-related anaphylaxis in the same period. This discrepancy could be due to increased food allergy in the low-risk population, increased conversion of food sensitization to allergy, or increased number of high-risk infants. Alternatively, increased awareness or severity of reactions may have led to an apparent increase in food allergy.

P060 Prevalence of skin prick tests to Ambrosia among pollen allergic rhinitis patients in Northeast Poland

P060 Prevalence of skin prick tests to Ambrosia among pollen allergic rhinitis patients in Northeast Poland

A longitudinal study of allergy and intestinal helminth infections in semi urban and rural areas of Flores, Indonesia (ImmunoSPIN Study)

BackgroundThe prevalence of asthma and atopic disease has been reported to be low in low income countries, however helminth infections are likely to be high among these communities. The question of whether helminth infections play a role in allergic diseases can best be addressed by intervention studies. None of the studies so far have been based on a large scale placebo-controlled trial.Method/DesignThis study was designed to assess how intestinal helminth infections can influence the immune response and atopic and allergic disorders in children in Indonesia. The relations between allergic outcomes and infection and lifestyle factors will be addressed. This study was set up among school-age children in semi urban and rural areas, located in Ende District of Flores Island, Indonesia. A randomized placebo-controlled anthelmintic treatment trial to elucidate the impact of helminth infections on the prevalence of skin prick test (SPT) reactivity and symptoms of allergic diseases will be performed. The children living in these semi-urban and rural areas will be assessed for SPT to allergens before and after 1 and 2 years of treatment as the primary outcome of the study; the secondary outcome is symptoms (asthma and atopic dermatitis); while the tertiary outcome is immune responses (both antibody levels to allergens and cellular immune responses).DiscussionThe study will provide information on the influence of helminth infections and anthelmintic treatment on immune response, atopy and allergic disorders.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN: ISRCTN83830814

Skin Test Reactivity Among Danish Children Measured 15 Years Apart

Background: Knowledge of secular trends in the prevalence of allergy among children stems in large part from questionnaire surveys, whereas repeated cross-sectional studies using objective markers of atopic sensitization are sparse.Objectives: To investigate whether the prevalence of skin prick test (SPT) positivity in Danish children has changed from 1986 to 2001.Methods: Serial cross-sectional studies of two different random population samples of children aged 7 to 17 years of age, living in urban Copenhagen, Denmark, were performed 15 years apart. The first cohort was investigated in 1986 (n = 527) and the second in 2001 (n = 480). Skin test reactivity to nine common aeroallergens was measured at both occasions.Results: The prevalence of positive SPT to at least one allergen decreased from 24.1% in 1986 to 18.9% in 2001, (p = 0.05). We found a declining prevalence of sensitization to most allergens tested, statistically significant; however, only for mugwort and Alternaria iridis. Among subjects, who were sensitized to only one allergen, we found significantly fewer individuals with reactions to D. pteronyssinus and mugwort.Conclusions: The prevalence of atopic sensitization as judged by SPT positivity has decreased or remained unchanged among Danish children during the 15-year period from 1986 to 2001. The increase in prevalence of allergic disease often reported in comparable studies using questionnaires as sole diagnostic criterion could not be reproduced in this study where objective markers of allergic sensitization were included in the design.

The relationship of alcohol consumption to total immunoglobulin E and the development of immunoglobulin E sensitization: the Copenhagen Allergy Study.

Several studies in patient populations have reported a positive association between alcohol consumption and serum total IgE. Furthermore, we have previously reported a positive association between alcohol consumption and the prevalence of skin prick test (SPT positivity) to inhalant allergens in a population-based cross-sectional study. To investigate the relationship of alcohol consumption to levels of serum total IgE and the development of IgE sensitization to inhalant allergens. In 1990, self-reported consumption of alcohol, serum total IgE, SPT positivity and specific IgE positivity to inhalant allergens were assessed in 1112 subjects, aged 15-69 years, participating in a population-based cross-sectional study in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1998, they were invited to a follow-up and 734 were re-examined (participation rate 69.0%). Adjustment for potential confounders was performed by using multivariable regression analyses. In non-atopic (specific IgE negative) subjects there was a positive association between alcohol consumption and the concentration of total IgE (P = 0.001). During the follow-up period, 45 and 33 subjects developed SPT positivity and specific IgE positivity, respectively. There was no significant association between alcohol consumption and the development of SPT positivity or specific IgE positivity. However, the risk of developing SPT positivity tended to increase with increasing consumption of alcohol (P = 0.055). This epidemiological study confirms that alcohol consumption has an influence on levels of serum total IgE. A significant association between alcohol consumption and the development of IgE sensitization was not established. However, there seems to be a lack epidemiological data on this issue.

Skin prick test reactivity to common aeroallergens in asthmatic patients with and without rhinitis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of skin prick test (SPT) reactivity to common aeroallergens among Malaysian asthmatic patients with and without rhinitis. An SPT using eight aeroallergens (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, cat fur, cockroach, Acacia sp., Bermuda grass, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger) was performed on 206 asthmatic patients. One hundred and forty patients (68%) were reactive to at least one of the aeroallergens. Among the SPT-positive patients, a positive prick test reaction to the house dust mites, D. pteronyssinus (93.6%), and D. farinae (81.4%) was most common, followed by cat fur (20.0%), cockroach (7.9%), Bermuda grass (7.9%), Acacia sp. (7.9%), A. fumigatus (0.7%) and A. niger (0.7%). A history of rhinitis was elicited in 111 (53.9%) patients and 95 (85.3%) of these patients were SPT-positive compared with only 45 (47.4%) of 95 patients with asthma symptoms alone (P < 0.001). The presence of rhinitis and a young age of onset of asthma were independent factors for positive SPT reaction to at least one of the aeroallergens. The prevalence of SPT reactivity to common aeroallergens is high among Malaysian asthmatics, particularly in those with an early age of onset and in those with coexisting rhinitis.

School education and allergic sensitization in adults.

There is evidence of an association between socioeconomic status (SES) and atopy mainly from studies in children which investigated atopic diseases and parental SES. We determined the association of allergic sensitization, as measured by skin prick test (SPT) and allergen-specific IgE (RAST), and SES in a population-based study in adults. Within a population-based, nested, case-control study, a standardized interview was performed and allergic sensitization to common aeroallergens was determined by SPT and RAST. A total of 1537 adults (50.4% female, age: median 50.0, range 28-78 years) were investigated, half of whom (50.2%) exhibited at least one positive RAST result according to the study design. SPT reactivity was 37.3% in this group and was estimated to be 26.1% in the representative study base of 4178 adults. Within increasing categories of school graduation (none; after 8, 10, 13, and >13 years), the prevalence of SPT (20.5%, 31.3%, 44.0%, 44.2%, 48.1%; P trend <0.0001) and RAST reactivity (35.0%, 48.0%, 52.3%, 48.4%, 58.4%; P trend=0.004) increased continuously. Similar results were obtained when testing this association on the level of single allergens. After control for age, sex, and parental history of atopic diseases, all but the first odds ratios for SPT remained significant (first category=reference, 2.06, 3.21, 3.88, 3.96). The same model for RAST reactivity revealed a similar result with effect estimate for the last category being significant (first category=reference, 1.89, 2.08, 2.10, 2.81). Allergic sensitization (SPT and RAST) to common aeroallergens in adults follows a significant and linear association with school education.