title: Role of pollen allergy in Taiwanese patients with allergic rhinitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pollen allergy is believed to be less common in East Asia, Latin America, and tropical areas. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of pollen allergy in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with clinically diagnosed allergic rhinitis were enrolled. All subjects received a 30-item skin test panel that included perennial allergens (house dust mix, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, dog epithelium, cat hairs, cockroach mix, and Candida albicans) and pollen allergens (acacia, pine mix, eucalyptus, beefwood, juniper mix, willow, mulberry mix, pepper tree, cedar, Johnson grass, Bermuda grass, ragweed mix, Timothy grass, spiny pigweed, cocklebur, sage mix, sheep sorrel, dog fennel, pigweed mix, English plantain, castor bean, alfalfa, and dandelion).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 419 patients were recruited. A total of 313 (74.7%) had a positive skin test. A total of 288 patients (68.7%) were sensitive to perennial allergens, and 11 8 patients (28.2%) were sensitive to pollen allergens. However, 93 pollen-sensitive patients were also sensitive to perennial allergens, and only 25 were sensitive to pollen allergens alone. The most common allergens were D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, house dust mix, and cockroach, but the most common pollen allergens were spiny pigweed, Johnson grass, and sheep sorrel. All nasal symptoms tended to be more severe in patients who were sensitive to perennial allergens than in those who were sensitive to pollen allergens alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients with allergic rhinitis in Taiwan are sensitive to perennial allergens, and pollens are a less common allergen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kai-Li
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Mao-Chang
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Jiun-Yih
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shiao
authors.forename: Shang-Heng
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ya-Hsin
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rong-San
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011058:Pollen; D015995:Prevalence; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012882:Skin Tests; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens