Skin Prick Test Reactivity to Common Aero and Food Allergens among Children with Allergy.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of allergic diseases has risen in the last decades. The objective of this study was to determine the common allergens in children via the skin prick test.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study recruited 313 allergic children (4 months to 18 years old) referred to the Asthma and Allergy Clinic of Children's Medical Center in Tehran. A questionnaire containing demographic data and patient history was completed. The Skin Prick Test (SPT) was selected according to the patients' history of food and/or aeroallergen sensitivity.


RESULTS
Patients (62.4% male, 37.6% female) with symptoms of asthma (n=141, 57.1%), allergic rhinitis (n=50, 20.4%), atopic dermatitis (n=29, 11.7%), and urticaria (n=20, 8.1%) were studied. Positive skin prick test to at least one allergen was 58.1%. The most prevalent allergens were tree mix (26%), Alternaria alternata (26%), weed mix (23.6%), Dermatophagoides farinae (22.9%), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (22.9%), milk (21.7%), eggs (20%), and wheat flour (18.3%). Also, common allergens in the patients with different symptoms of allergic disorders were as follows: asthma (tree mix, weed mix, and Dermatophagoides farinae); allergic rhinitis (Dermatophagoides farinae, tree mix, and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus); and atopic dermatitis (Alternaria alternata, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and cockroaches).


CONCLUSIONS
Identifying allergens in each area is necessary and has an important role in the diagnosis and management of allergic disorders and possibility of performing immunotherapy. In this study, the most common aeroallergens were tree mix, Alternaria alternata, and weed mix and also the most common food allergens were milk, eggs, and wheat. Considering these data, appropriate preventive strategies can decrease the cost and morbidity of therapeutic actions.
Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Safoora
S
Hosseini
Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Raheleh Shokouhi
RS
Shoormasti
Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Rozita
R
Akramian
Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Children Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Masoud
M
Movahedi
Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Children Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Mohammad
M
Gharagozlou
Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Negar
N
Foroughi
Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Babak
B
Saboury
Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran.
Anoushiravan
A
Kazemnejad
Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Children Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Maryam
M
Mahlooji Rad
Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Children Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Alireza
A
Mahdaviani
Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; ; Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Children Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Zahra
Z
Pourpak
Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; ; Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Children Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
Mostafa
M
Moin
Allergens; Children; Skin test