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Skin sensitization to common allergens in Turkish wheezy children less than 3 years of age
Ozkaya Emin1, Güler Nermin, Oneş Ulker
1SSK Vakif Gureba Training Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Allergy skin testing is common in wheezy infants, with house dust mites being the most frequent allergen. Indoor allergens were more prevalent than outdoor or food allergens in young children with asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Allergology
- Immunology
Background:
- Infantile asthma is often not attributed to allergies.
- Skin testing is not routinely performed in infants and young children with asthma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of skin test positivity to various allergens in wheezy children under 3 years of age.
- To compare sensitization rates between asthmatic infants and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- 161 wheezy infants (median age 20 months) and 100 healthy controls (median age 18 months) were evaluated.
- Skin prick testing was performed for house dust mites (HDM), pollens, molds, and cow milk.
- Infantile asthma definition: ≥3 wheezing episodes in children <3 years, responsive to beta-agonist and anti-inflammatory treatment.
Main Results:
- 73.3% of wheezy infants tested positive to HDM, 52.1% to pollens, 22.9% to molds, and 10% to cow milk.
- Sensitization rates to HDM were significantly higher in the patient group compared to controls.
- No significant difference in pollen sensitization between groups; no association found between family history of atopy and sensitization.
Conclusions:
- Skin sensitization to allergens is common in wheezy infants.
- Indoor allergens, particularly HDM, show a higher prevalence of sensitization than outdoor or food allergens in this age group.
- Findings suggest a significant role for allergens in infantile asthma.
Abstract:
Infants and small children with asthma are not commonly skin tested, as allergy is not considered to be a major cause of infantile asthma. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of skin test positivity to various allergens in wheezy children less than 3 years of age. We evaluated 161 patients with infantile asthma (median age 20 months) and 100 healthy controls (median age 18 months). Infantile asthma was defined as three or more episodes of wheezing in a child less than 3 years of age, whose symptoms improved on treatment with beta-agonist and anti-inflammatory agents. All children were skin tested to house dust mites (HDM), pollens, molds, and cow milk extracts using prick technique. One hundred and eighteen (73.3%) children In the patient group tested positive to HDM, 84 (52.1%) to pollens, 37 (22.9%) to molds, and 16 (10%) to cow milk. Sensitization rates to HDM were significantly higher in the patient group than In the healthy controls. Sensitization rates to pollens were not statistically different between the two groups. There was no association between family history of atopy and frequency of sensitization to allergens in the wheezy and control groups. We concluded that skin sensitization to allergens was common In wheezy infants. The prevalence of sensitization to indoor allergens was higher than to outdoor or food allergens.
