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Decreased Serum Epinephrine in Children With Positive Skin Prick Test
Seok-Chan Hong1, Jeffrey D Suh2, Sochung Chung3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Konkuk University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Children with positive skin prick tests (SPT) showed lower epinephrine levels. However, catecholamine levels were not linked to rhinitis symptoms in this pediatric study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Neuroendocrinology
Background:
- Allergies are common in children, and their relationship with neurochemical factors like catecholamines is not fully understood.
- Skin prick testing (SPT) is a standard method for diagnosing allergic sensitization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between catecholamine levels and allergic sensitization identified by SPT in children.
- To explore potential links between catecholamines and rhinitis symptoms in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 208 first-grade children underwent SPT for common allergens.
- Catecholamine (epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine) levels were measured via high-performance liquid chromatography.
- Parental questionnaires assessed rhinitis symptoms.
Main Results:
- Of 174 participants, 45% showed positive SPT results (sensitization group).
- Epinephrine levels were significantly lower in the sensitization group compared to the nonsensitization group (P=0.004).
- No significant differences in norepinephrine or dopamine levels were observed between groups.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric allergic sensitization, indicated by positive SPT, is associated with reduced epinephrine levels.
- Catecholamine levels did not correlate with the presence or absence of rhinitis symptoms in this study cohort.
Objectives:
To evaluate the association between catecholamine levels and skin prick test results among children.
Methods:
Two hundred eight first grade children from one elementary school were invited to participate in this study. Skin prick test (SPT) for six allergens (2 house dust mites, cat, dog, mugwort, and pollen mixture) was performed, and patient demographic information was recorded. The parents were surveyed using questionnaires about rhinitis-related symptoms. Finally, venous blood sampling was done to measure catecholamine levels (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine) by high-performance liquid chromatography.
Results:
Out of 208 children, 174 (106 boys and 68 girls) enrolled in this study. Ninety-six of the children (55%) had negative SPT (nonsensitization group), while 78 (45%) had a positive SPT to at least one of six allergens (sensitization group). The diagnosis of chronic rhinitis was more prevalent in the sensitization group (35.9%) than nonsensitization group (26.0%), however the finding was not significant (P=0.186). Epinephrine levels were decreased between the sensitization group compared to the nonsensitization group (P=0.004). There was no difference in norepinephrine and dopamine levels (P>0.05).
Conclusion:
Epinephrine levels are lower in children with positive SPT compared to controls, however, the level of the catecholamine was not associated with the presence or absence of rhinitis symptoms.
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