title: [Results of skin prick test in young children with wheezing or allergic diseases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the characteristics of allergic reactions to common aeroallergens in young children with wheezing or allergic diseases by examining the results of skin prick test in children under 5 years old.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 196 children under 5 years old, from a district of Changsha City sampled between September 1 to December 31, 2010, were assigned into two groups according to the presence of wheezing or allergic diseases: allergen screening (n=102) and control (n=94). Skin prick tests were performed on both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of skin prick test in the allergen screening group was 61.8% (63/102), and this was significantly higher than in the control group (9.6%, 9/94; P<0.05). In the allergen screening group, the positive rate of skin prick test in children with both recurrent wheezing and allergic rhinitis was significantly higher than in children with wheezing alone (P<0.05). The frequency of wheezing was positively correlated with a positive skin prick test (r=0.91; P<0.05). The positive rate of skin prick test for mites was significantly higher than for other aeroallergens (24.2% vs 3.5%; P<0.05) in the allergen screening group. Skin prick testing of the children for dermatophagoides farinae showed a higher positive rate than for dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (50.0% vs 14.7%; P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wheezing in early childhood may be associated with the occurrence of asthma. Skin prick testing contributes to the diagnosis of allergic diseases and assessment of allergic reactions to aeroallergens in children with wheezing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Hong-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Yu-Pin
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests