Molecular sensitization patterns of common food-and respiratory allergens in the Hungarian population

Recently developed Immunoglobulin-E (IgE) based molecular allergy diagnostics provide the ability of identifying allergenic components or ingredients at the molecular level (component-resolved-diagnosis, CRD). Compared to the classical IgE-based allergy diagnostics, molecular technology is providing more sensitive and specific IgE-sensitization patterns. Certain sensitization patterns are characteristic of large geographic regions. There are only few data available on the molecular IgE sensitization patterns in East-Central Europe. This study aims to present further data from this region.

Data of 3993 stored, anonymized molecular ImmunoCap IgE measurements (CRD), performed in Hungary between January-December 2019 from sera of 1288 subjects (mean age: 27 years ±18 years, male/female ratio 0.56) were analyzed retrospectively, in order to get a local distributional pattern of the sensitizing (IgE >0.35 KU/l) molecular allergens.

The proportion of CRD positive cases was 24.3%. Amongst them, the most prevalent inhalative allergens were Amb a 1 (18%) Art v 1 (8%) in adults and Der p 2 (3%) and Der p 1 (3%) and Amb a 1 (4%) in subjects below 18 years of age. The same for food allergens were Gal d 2 (21%), Bos d 4 (17%), Bos d 5 (11%) in adults and Gal d 2 (38%), Gal d 1 (28%), Bos d 4 (21%), Bos d 5 (13%) and Bos d 8 (7%) in children. The ratio of mono-sensitivities among CRD-positive cases was 37.5%.

Our results provide region-specific patterns of sensitization and molecular allergen spreading for Hungary. The relatively higher abundance of polysensitization's among allergic cases underlines the need for early diagnostic -and preventive measures in the future.