Comparison of major aeroallergens in Taipei and Kin-Men

Ragweed pollen is an important aeroallergen in the USA, however, its role in the pathogenesis of allergic airway diseases in Taiwan has not been reported. Recently, a dramatic increase in patients with allergic rhinitis was noted in Kin-Men. Most patients had characteristic seasonal variation with the symptoms waxing in August and waning in November, which correlated with the pollen season of ragweed. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of ragweed pollen in the pathogenesis of allergic airway disease in Taipei and Kin-Men. Ragweed pollen from Kin-Men was collected, extracted, and resuspended in phosphate-buffered saline for a skin prick test. Greer ragweed pollen extract was used as a control. Serum from patients with a positive skin test was investigated for the ragweed pollen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE). The IgE-binding components in the ragweed pollen were determined using immunoblot analysis. Of 101 patients from Kin-Men, 79 responded to ragweed. Only eight of 117 patients from Taipei responded to the same allergen. The titers of ragweed-specific IgE antibodies in the sera from Kin-Men were much higher than in the sera from Taipei. The response rate to the most common indoor allergen, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, was much lower in Kin-Men than in Taipei (25.7% and 90.6%, respectively). Thus, there were different aeroallergens in Kin-Men and Taipei. Having what was in both cases a Chinese population affected by different allergens indicates that environmental allergens may play an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic airway diseases. These results may also serve as a reference for the prophylaxis of allergic rhinitis in Kin-Men.