A comparative study of prevalence of skin hypersensitivity to cockroach and house dust antigens

Allergy skin tests with cockroach antigen along with various common inhalant allergens were performed on 222 atopic and on 63 non-atopic subjects. The most prevalent allergen producing a positive skin test was house dust antigen with a positive response of 72%, 78% and 57% in atopic adults, atopic children and non-atopic children, respectively. The next prevalent positive skin test was to cockroach antigen with 50%, 60% and 27%, respectively, of the three groups tested. The differences between positive cockroach hypersensitivity and house dust hypersensitivity in all three groups tested were statistically significant. Next in order of prevalence of positive skin test to common inhalants were western weeds, ragweeds and cats. Incidence of cockroach hypersensitivity was 58% among asthmatic adults and 69% among asthmatic children. The results indicate that cockroach hypersensitivity is highly prevalent and that cockroach antigen is an independent agent from house dust as a cause of immediate hypersensitivity reaction.