Allergen sensitization patterns: Allergic rhinitis with multimorbidity versus alone-A real-world study.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Allergology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Allergic rhinitis (AR) multimorbidity may represent a distinct disease entity due to unique clinical and immunological profiles.
• Polysensitization, characterized by IgE reactivity to multiple allergens, is common in allergic multimorbidity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in allergen immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization patterns between patients with AR alone and those with AR multimorbidity.
• To identify specific allergens and sensitization levels associated with AR multimorbidity.

Main Methods:

• A real-world case-control study involving 2275 patients diagnosed with AR.
• Multivariate logistic regression was employed to analyze associations between AR multimorbidity and allergen sensitivity, IgE levels, and allergen counts.

Main Results:

• Patients with AR multimorbidity (51.6%) exhibited a more diverse allergen profile compared to those with AR alone (48.4%).
• Increased sensitization to ingested allergens showed a higher odds ratio for AR multimorbidity (1.96) versus inhaled allergens (1.46).
• Sensitization to dust mites, cat dander, milk, and higher IgE levels were linked to AR multimorbidity; cat and dog dander were significant in children.

Conclusions:

• Allergen sensitization patterns in AR multimorbidity are distinct from AR alone.
• Polysensitization, particularly to ingested allergens, elevates the risk of developing allergic multimorbidity.
• Increased allergen positivity and elevated allergen-specific IgE levels correlate with a higher risk of allergic multimorbidity.