title: Prevalence ofAspergillushypersensitivity and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in patients with bronchial asthma at a tertiary care center in North India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence ofAspergillushypersensitivity (AH) and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) has been variably reported. Systematic data regardingAspergillussensitization and ABPA are lacking from this part of the country.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of AH and ABPA in Uttar Pradesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was prospective observational study. All patients attending outpatient Department of Pulmonary Medicine of our institute were included in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive asthmatic patients underwent screening for ABPA usingAspergillusskin test (AST). Those showing a positive response to AST were further evaluated for ABPA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study, 350 patients (192 males, 158 females, mean ± standard deviation age: 38.3 ± 12.8) were screened with AST. One hundred and twenty-three patients (35.1%) were tested positive for AST and 21.7% of patients were diagnosed as ABPA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high prevalence rate of ABPA was observed at our chest clinic. Although comparable with published data from other tertiary centers, it does not represent the true prevalence rates in asthmatics because of high chances of referral bias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Alok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nath
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Ajmal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Zia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hashim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Jeetendra Kumar
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Patra
keywords: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis; Aspergillus hypersensitivity; bronchial asthma