Antigen recognition in Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese, and Caucasians

Allergic Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, and Caucasian groups were compared and contrasted according to their skin test reactivity to pollens of grasses and trees. If a subject reacted to grasses, there was a significantly greater risk of reaction to trees (P less than .0005). The risk was profoundly greater in the three non-Caucasian groups (Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese) compared with the Caucasian group (P less than .0005). Reactivity to grass appeared to amplify the risk of reaction to trees. This effect was particularly striking in the non-Caucasian groups. In groups that did not react to grasses, there was no difference between races in reactivity to trees. The non-Caucasian races did not demonstrate significant differences in their reaction to grasses. All three non-Caucasian groups appear to be more sensitive than the matched Caucasians to cedar, cypress, and juniper.