Abstract:

Objective To investigate which aeroallergens were prevalent in children with allergic rhinitis in Beijing region.
Methods A total of 458 cases(aged from 3 to 18 years) who were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, underwent a skin prick test with 21 standardized aeroallergens, and the important sensitizing allergens were assessed. The stratified analysis for gender and age were also performed. Differences in SPT responses among the groups according to age were explored.
Results The percent of patients with positive skin tests were as follows: Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus(83.6%), Dermatophagoides farinae(83.2%), animal hair(15.7%), giant ragweed(13.3%), TreeⅠ(13.3%), Chenopodium album(13.1%), Tree Ⅱ(12.0%), Alternaria alternate(9.6%), Locust(9.2%) and Gramineae(9.2%). The dust mite was the most popular allergen regardless of gender. The individuals who showed strong positive response to dust mite accounted for 87.0% among the 377 dust mite allergic subjects. There was no significantly higher sensitivity to dust mite among groups when cutoff points were set at 14 and 11 years of age(P>0.05).
Conclusion The dust mite was the most important aeroallergens in children with allergic rhinitis in Beijing region.

Key words: allergic rhinitis, children, allergen, skin prick test, Beijing, epidemiology