title: Sensitization rates of airborne pollen and mold in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aeroallergens are important causative factors of allergic diseases. Previous studies on aeroallergen sensitization rates investigated patients groups that had visited pediatric allergy clinics. In contrast, we investigated sensitization rates in a general population group of elementary school to teenage students in Incheon, Jeju, and Ulsan.
  
  
  METHODS
  After obtaining parental consent, skin-prick tests were performed on 5,094 students between March and June 2010. Elementary school students were tested for 18 common aeroallergens, whereas middle and high school students were tested for 25 allergens. The 25 allergens included Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, pollen (birch, alder, oak, Japanese cedar, pine, willow, elm, maple, Bermuda grass, timothy grass, rye grass, orchard grass, meadow grass, vernal grass, mugwort, Japanese hop, fat hen, ragweed, and plantain), and mold (Penicillatum, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Alternaria).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitization rates in descending order were 25.79% (D. pteronyssinus), 18.66% (D. farinae), 6.20% (mugwort), and 4.07% (willow) in Incheon; 33.35% (D. pteronyssinus), 24.78% (D. farinae), 15.36% (Japanese cedar), and 7.33% (Alternaria) in Jeju; and 32.79% (D. pteronyssinus), 30.27% (D. farinae), 10.13% (alder), and 8.68% (birch) in Ulsan. The dust mite allergen showed the highest sensitization rate among the 3 regions. The sensitization rate of tree pollen was the highest in Ulsan, whereas that of Alternaria was the highest in Jeju. The ragweed sensitization rates were 0.99% in Incheon, 1.07% in Jeju, and 0.81% in Ulsan.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differences in sensitization rates were because of different regional environmental conditions and distinct surrounding biological species. Hence, subsequent nationwide studies are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: So Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dae Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Byong Kwan
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Jeong Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Eun
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: In Bo
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Yang Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Keun Hwa
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Su Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hong