Aeroallergen sensitization profiles in Northern Greece

Author:

Chioti, AG; Konstantinou, GN

Author address:

Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 424 General Military Training Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece

Full conference title:

European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Congress 2016

Abstract:

Background: It is well known that the prevalence of respiratory allergies varies not only between different countries but also between different regions within the same country. This may be attributed not only to different socio-economic or climatic characteristics but also to different aeroallergens that influence sensitization. The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitization profiles to common aeroallergens among individuals with respiratory allergies living in Northern Greece, since such data are lacking in the literature.

Method: The records of all patients with respiratory allergy under active allergen immunotherapy between 2013 and 2015 were reviewed. Their sensitization profile, which was based on skin prick test results with the standard Pan-European skin prick test panel for respiratory allergens, was recorded. All patients had at least one clinically relevant sensitization.

Results: 166 allergic individuals (70.5% males) with mean age 31.3  13.1 yo (range 5–66 yo) were evaluated. 144 of them (87%) had allergic rhinitis, 20 (12%) allergic rhinitis and asthma and 2 (1%) allergic asthma alone. 39 patients (23.5%) were monosensitized: 11 to grass pollen, 8 to tree pollen, 8 to weed pollen, 7 to house dust mites (HDM), 3 to molds, 1 to animal epithelia and 1 to cockroach. Overall, 64.5% were sensitized to tree pollen (olive 44%; cypress 33.1%; platanus 9.6%; birch related pollen 7.2%), 60.8% to grass pollen, 48.2% to weed pollen (parietaria 32%; chenopodium 22.3%; mugwort 15%; ragweed 9%), 39.25% to HDM, 22.3% to molds (Alternaria alternata 18%; Cladosporium herbarum 9% and Aspergillus fumigatus 9%), 18.7% to animal epithelia (cat 16.3%; dog 9.6%), 11.4% to cockroach and 2.4% to feathers.

Conclusion: Among Northern Greek allergic individuals with respiratory allergies, sensitization to grass pollen is the most common followed by olive pollen, HDM, cypress and parietaria pollen. Interestingly, tree pollen sensitization as a whole is the most prevalent group of sensitization. There are distinct, significant differences with the sensitization profiles found in South Greece and the Greek islands.

Conference Year: 2016

Link Conference abstract: 

EAACI 2016

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