Trends of Sensitization to Inhalant Allergens in Korean Children Over the Last 10 Years.

Purpose: Climate and lifestyle changes increase an individual's susceptibility to various allergens and also the incidence of allergic diseases. We aimed to examine the changes in sensitization rate for aeroallergens over a 10-year period in Korean children.
Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 4493 children who visited the allergy clinic at a tertiary hospital in Korea for allergic rhinitis or asthma from January 2009 to December 2018. The serum specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were measured to confirm the sensitization against Dermatophagoides farinae ( D. farinae ), Alternaria , weed and tree pollen mixtures, as well as cat and dog dander through ImmunoCAP test.
Results: D. farinae was the most common sensitizing aeroallergen (45.9%) during the 10-year span. The sensitization rate for tree pollen mixture ( p for trend <0.001), weed pollen mixtures ( p for trend <0.001), dog dander ( p for trend=0.025), and cat dander ( p for trend=0.003) showed ascending trends during the 10-year study period. Furthermore, the sensitization rate for multiple allergens (≥2) in 2018 increased significantly compared to that in 2009 ( p for trend=0.013). Compared with children without sensitization to D. farinae , those with sensitization to D. farinae showed higher sensitization rates to other aeroallergens ( p for interaction <0.001).
Conclusion: Children's sensitization rate to cat and dog dander and weed and tree pollen mixtures significantly increased during the 10-year period in Korea. Children with sensitization to D. farinae are likely to be sensitized to other aeroallergens as well.
Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
(© Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2020.)