title: Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in respiratory allergy are different depending on the profile of aeroallergen sensitisation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few studies which analyse the characteristics of allergic respiratory disease according to profiles of sensitisation to different allergens. This study describes the clinical features and therapeutic approaches, according to the sensitisation profile to relevant aeroallergens, in a sample of adult patients with a first-time diagnosis of respiratory allergy (rhinitis and/or asthma).
  
  
  METHODS
  1287 patients, enrolled consecutively in the spring of 2010 by 200 allergy specialists, were classified into four groups according to sensitisation to significant allergens in each geographical area (grass pollen, olive pollen, grass and olive pollen, house dust mites). Information was obtained on demographics, diagnostic procedures used, treatments prescribed, clinical characteristics of the rhinitis, and severity and control of asthma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the patients, 58.6% had rhinitis only and 38.7% had both rhinitis and asthma. Patients with more severe rhinitis had more severe and poorer controlled asthma. Sensitisation to different allergens was not associated with significant differences in severity and control of asthma, but patients with house dust mite allergy presented persistent rhinitis more frequently. Allergy to grass pollen was significantly associated with food allergies. Differences were observed in the frequency of prescription of immunotherapy and antileukotrienes in patients allergic to house dust mites and of topical corticosteroids in patients with pollen allergy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was observed in this study that in respiratory allergy disease, there are clinical differences as well as differences in diagnostic procedure and therapeutic attitudes, depending on the clinically relevant allergen.
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Carretera de Toledo Km 12,500, 28905 Getafe, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: alergologia.hugf@salud.madrid.org.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Ortega
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy, Healthcare Research Institute IdiPAZ, CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, CIBERES, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quirce
authors.affiliation: Allergy Department, Hospital Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.affiliation: Immunoallergy Department, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dávila
authors.affiliation: Allergy, Centro Internacional de Medicina Avanzada, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martí-Guadaño
authors.affiliation: Pneumology and Allergy Department, Clinical and Experimental Respiratory Immunoallergy, IDIBAPS, CIBERES, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000276:immunology; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D002171:Canaries; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008297:Male; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D039981:Pyroglyphidae; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides