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Sensitization to environmental antigens in asthmatic children from a central Italian area
M Verini1, N Rossi, A Verrotti
1Allergological Section of Pediatric Clinic, University of Chieti Clinical Hospital, Italy. maverini@tin.it
Insights
This study found house dust mites and grass pollens are the most common respiratory allergens in asthmatic children in the Chieti-Pescara area. Sensitization to allergens increased with age, highlighting the importance of age in respiratory polysensitization.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Respiratory Medicine
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children, often linked to atopy and allergic sensitization.
- Identifying specific respiratory allergens is crucial for effective asthma management and prevention strategies in pediatric populations.
- The prevalence of allergic sensitization varies geographically and by age group, necessitating localized epidemiological studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of sensitization to common aeroallergens in asthmatic atopic children in the Chieti-Pescara area.
- To analyze the distribution of allergic sensitization across different age groups within the pediatric population.
- To identify the primary allergens responsible for respiratory symptoms in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 507 asthmatic atopic children (aged 1-17 years) from the Chieti-Pescara area were enrolled.
- Skin prick tests (SPT) were performed using a panel of 12 common aeroallergens.
- Data on allergen sensitization and patient age were analyzed to determine prevalence and age-related trends.
Main Results:
- House dust mites (Dermatophagoides Pt and Fa) were the most prevalent allergens (74% and 71%, respectively).
- Grass pollens (45%) were also a significant allergen, followed by Parietaria (23%) and Olive (21%).
- Allergen sensitization increased with age, with house dust mite sensitization remaining consistently high across all age groups.
Conclusions:
- House dust mites and grass pollens are the predominant respiratory allergens in asthmatic children in the studied region.
- Age is a significant factor influencing the development of respiratory polysensitization in asthmatic children.
- These findings underscore the need for targeted allergen avoidance and immunotherapy strategies based on age and local allergen prevalence.
Abstract:
This study was designed to evaluate the frequency of respiratory allergens in different age groups of asthmatic atopic children in the Chieti-Pescara area. We examined a pediatric population (507 children) aged between 1 to 17 years (mean 6.62 +/- 2.9). All the children were submitted to a panel of skin prick tests (SPT) for 12 common aeroallergens: Grass Pollens (G.), Parietaria (P.), Olive (O.), Artemisia (A.), Ragweed (R.), Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides Farinae (D.P. & D.F.), Cat and Dog dander (C.D.), Feathers (F.), Alternaria (Al.), Aspergillus (As.). All the subjects gave positive result to one or more allergens. The population was subdivided in to 4 groups according to their age (Group A: 1-3 years; Group B: 4-6 years; Group C: 7-9 years; Group D: 10-17 years). In each age group, we determined the number of subjects with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 and more than 5 positive SPT and the prevalence of positive SPT for different allergens. We found that 74% of 507 patients showed positive reaction to Dermatophagoides Pt, 71% to Dermatophagoides Fa, 45% to Grass, 23% to Parietaria, 21% to Olive, 17% to Artemisia, 17% to Cat's or Dog's danders, 13% to Alternaria, 5.9% to Ragweed, 5.9% to Feathers, and 4% to Aspergillus. In addition we detected that 12% of children examined were monosensitized; 56% were sensitized to 2 or 3 allergens; 22% were sensitized to 4 or 5 allergens, and then 8% were polysensitized to > 5 allergens. The allergy to grass pollens and to house dust mites was the most frequent in monosensitized. In the older patients, we found an increase in number of positives SPT to several allergens, and an increase in the frequency of Gr., P. and O. allergy, while the house dust mites sensitization remained constant in all groups and represented the dominant cause of asthmatic symptoms in this population. Our data confirm the importance of age in determining a respiratory polysensitization. In conclusion, our data suggest that house dust mites (D.P. and D.F.) and grass pollens are the most common allergens in asthmatic children of the Chieti-Pescara area.