title: Association of Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder with allergic diseases in children and adolescents: a preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the rate of allergic diseases including asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in children and adolescents diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (n:26) and/or Tourette syndrome (TS) (n:32) [OCD plus TS, n:13] compared to control subjects (n:35) [total, n:80].
  
  
  METHODS
  The symptoms of any allergic disease were assessed using the ISAAC questionnaire form. Allergy diagnoses were made by a pediatric allergy specialist. Skin prick tests were applied, and IgE levels and eosinophil counts were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While only one-fifth of the control subjects had allergic diseases, more than half of the children with TS and/or OCD had comorbid allergic diseases. Positive skin prick tests were greater in OCD patients compared to control subjects. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of eosinophil counts or IgE levels. Among the allergic diseases, while allergic rhinitis was diagnosed at significantly higher rates in TS patients, eczema was significantly higher in OCD patients compared to control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study shows an association between allergic diseases and TS and/or OCD. The results revealing differences in associations between types of allergic disease (rhinitis or eczema) and neuropsychiatric disorder (tic disorder or OCD) need to be investigated in further studies with higher numbers of participants, and immune markers should be examined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey. muryuce@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yuce
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Guner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karabekiroglu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baykal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sancak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karabekiroglu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D014421:Turkey