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Aeroallergen sensitization in asthma: prevalence and correlation with severity
1Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Section of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033-0853, USA. tcraig@psu.edu
Allergy and Asthma Proceedings
|April 22, 2010
Summary
Most asthma patients, even with severe cases, experience aeroallergen sensitization. This allergy component is prevalent across all asthma severities and ages, influencing treatment options.
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Pulmonology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Aeroallergen sensitization is common in asthma patients, affecting mild, moderate, and severe cases.
- Atopy prevalence in severe asthma, while seemingly lower, still approximates that in milder forms.
- Understanding the allergic component is crucial for comprehensive asthma management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the prevalence of positive skin tests and atopic disease in patients with asthma.
- To synthesize current literature on the relationship between allergic sensitization and asthma severity.
- To identify factors associated with allergic and non-allergic asthma.
Main Methods:
- Literature review using PubMed and Ovid databases.
- Searches included terms like "skin test and asthma," "allergic asthma," and "allergies and asthma."
- Selection of articles relevant to the prevalence of atopy in asthma patients.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of allergic disease in mild-to-moderate asthma ranges from 50-95%, with recent data suggesting 95% accuracy.
- Severe asthma also shows a high prevalence of allergic components, potentially up to 90%.
- Factors like high IgE, high exhaled nitric oxide (eNO), low methacholine PC(20), and minority ethnicity correlate with more positive skin tests.
Conclusions:
- The vast majority of patients with all asthma severities have an allergic component.
- Allergen avoidance, omalizumab, and immunotherapy may benefit all asthma patients, including the elderly.
- Aeroallergen sensitization patterns vary by ethnicity, location, and asthma onset, but not by age.
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