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BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Vol. 4, No. 2, June 2005 IRANIAN JOURNAL OF ALLERGY, ASTHMA AND IMMUNOLOGY /99
Descriptive Study of 226 Patients with
Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma
Abolhassan Farhoudi1, Alireza Razavi2, Zahra Chavoshzadeh1, Marzieh Heidarzadeh1,
Mohammad Hassan Bemanian1, and Mohammad Nabavi1
1 Department of Immunology and Allergy, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences,
Tehran , Iran
2 School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
ABSTRACT
The prevalence of allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis is high in
general population and aeroallergens are the most common allergens that cause air way
inflammation.
The aim of this study was an evaluation of clinical and laboratory findings in
allergic patients and identification of the most common aeroallergen in these patients.
A cross–sectional retrospective study was conducted on 226 allergic patients who
were referred to allergic clinic of Karaj city, and skin prick test response to
aeroallergens were studied.
The most common risk factors in these patients were total IgE more than 100 IU/ml
and a positive family history of atopy.
Skin prick testing results showed that the most common aeroallergens were:
herbacee II (62%), sycamore (57%), chenopodium (53%), tree mix (50%), herbacee III
(47%), grass (43%), ash (40%), herbacee I (37%), cedar (27%), cockroach (25%), and
mite D.P (19%), D.F (18%).
High prevalence of skin reactivity to weeds (chenopodium and herbacee) and
sycamore indicates variation in the prevalence of aeroallergen reactivity in different
regions with different climates.
Keywords: Allergy; Asthma; Prevalence; Rhinitis
INTRODUCTION
Asthma and rhinitis are the most common allergic
conditions. Allergic conditions have increased since
past decades, and posing a heavy burden on health
care systems.1
Asthma is a major cause of chronic morbidity and
mortality throughout the world that is characterized
by paroxysmal spasmodic narrowing of the bronchial
airway due to inflammation of the bronchial tree and
contraction of the bronchial smooth muscle.2
Corresponding Author: Abolhassan Farhoudi, M.D; Department
of Immunology and Allergy, Children's Hospital Medical Center,
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tel: (+98 21)
6693 3926, Fax: (+98 261) 442 9200, E-mail:
afarhoudi@yahoo.com
Common risk factors include exposure to allergen
such as domestic dust mites, animals with fur,
cockroach, pollens and molds, occupational irritants,
respiratory infections, exercise, air pollution and
tobacco smoke. Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory
condition of the nasal mucosa characterized by the
symptoms of pruritus, sneeze, discharge and
stuffiness induced by an IgE - mediated response.1
Aeroallergen with an origin from plants, animals,
molds and mites are the most common allergens
involved in allergic rhinitis. Allergic disorders are
diagnosed by a proper history, physical examination
and some paraclinical findings Serum total IgE,
eosinophylic count, specific IgE, skin prick test,
RAST test and respiratory function test. Asthma and
Study of Patients with Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma
100/ IRANIAN JOURNAL OF ALLERGY, ASTHMA AND IMMUNOLOGY Vol. 4, No. 2, June 2005
rhinitis are common comorbidities, suggesting the
concept of one airway, one disease.3
This study was designed for evaluation of co
existence of asthma and rhinitis, risk factors for
allergy such as family history of atopy, IgE level and
identification of the most common aeroallergen in
Karaj city of Iran.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional retrospective study was designed
and 226 patients with diagnosis of allergic rhinitis or
asthma based on the criteria of GINA4 who had been
referred to a private allergic clinic in Karaj city during
years of 2002 – 2003 were selected.
Information chart of patients was reviewed which
included data about sex, age, symptoms and signs of
diseases (diagnosis of disease), pattern of allergic
diseases (seasonal or perennial), family history of
atopy, CBC results, level of IgE and response to
aeroallergen such as trees (sycamore , Ash, Beech
,Cedar , Alder , Elder) ,grass, weeds (herbacee I, II,
III, chenopodium), Cockroach, House dust and mite
(D.P and D.F). Data was analyzed with Epi-Info
version 6, program.
RESULTS
Among 226 patients with allergic rhinitis or
asthma or both, male/female ratio was 1.5/ 1. Age of
patients was between 2 to 59 years with a mean of
age: 13.5 ± 10.5 yr.
In this study, 55% of patients had asthma. 56%
allergic rhinitis and 24% had bronchial asthma
together with allergic rhinitis.
Seasonal pattern was seen in 38% of patients,
perennial pattern in 29% and 20% had perennial
pattern with exacerbation in some seasons.
Positive family history of atopy was seen in 72%
of patients, 28% had Eosinophil count more than
300/mm3 and 71% had total IgE more than 100IU/ml.
In skin prick test, 68% had positive SPT to at least
one of the aeroallergens. Frequency of positive tests
to individual allergen is depicted in table 1.
The most common aeroallergens were herbacee II
(62%), sycamore (57%), chenopodium (53%), tree
mix (50%), herhacece III (47%), grass (43%), ash
(40%), herbacess I (37%), ceder (27%), cockroach
(25%), D.P (19%), D.F (18%). Other pollens such as
Beech, Birch, Alder, and Elder had little importance
because positive SPT to these allergens were less than
5%.
Table 1. Frequency of most common positive skin prick
test to the aeroallergens among 226 patients with allergic
symptom in Karaj city.
Allergen
Number of
subjects with
positive SPT
% frequency of
all positive
cases
Herbacee II 140 62%
Sycamore 128 57%
Chenopodium 120 53%
Tree mix 113 50%
Herbacee III 106 47%
Grass 97 43%
Ash 90 40%
Herbacee I 83 37%
Cedar 61 27%
Cockroach 56 25%
D.P 43 19%
D.F 41 18%
DISCUSSION
Common pathophysiology in allergic rhinitis and
asthma result to the important one airway , one
disease.3 Between 60 to 78% of patients who have
asthma have coexisting allergic rhinitis that they are
described better as a continuum of inflammation
involving one common airway. In our study 24% had
bronchial asthma together with allergic rhinitis.
Approximately, 20% of allergic rhinitis is strictly
seasonal, 40% perennial and 40% mixed.5 In this
study, 38% patients had seasonal pattern and 29%
perennial pattern and 20% mixed , so seasonal pattern
was the most common pattern witch may be due to
regional herbal geography.
The UK postal survey found a prevalence of
perennial diseases of 21%.6
Serum IgE greater than 100 IU/ml and family
history of atopy are risk factor for development of
allergic diseases. 72% of patients had positive family
history of atopy and 71% had IgE level more than 100
Iu/ml.
Aeroallergens are the prominent causes of allergic
symptoms in patients with asthma or allergic rhinitis.
In this study 68% of patients were sensitive to
aeroallergen but 26% had negative skin prick test in
A. Farhoudi, et al.
Vol. 2, No. 4, June 2005 IRANIAN JOURNAL OF ALLERGY, ASTHMA AND IMMUNOLOGY /101
spite of classic clinical findings of allergic rhinitis or
asthma, local generation of IgE provides an
explanation for this group.3
Pollens were the most common aeroallergen in
patients with allergic diseases in Karaj city. Among
pollens, weeds such as herbacee and chenopodium
had the highest rate of sensitization and trees such as
sycamore ash and grass were next in importance.
Cockroach, dust and dust mite including D.P and
DF had significant reaction.
In a similar study in Shiraz city, weeds and grasses
were the most common aeroallergens in patients with
allergic rhinitis.8
In United Arab Emirates, the most common
reactions were: Mesquitec, Grass mix, Cotton wood,
Bermuda grass, Kocki, Acacia, Alfalfa, Cheno-
podium, Date palm, Cockroach, House dust and Dust
mite.9
Based on our knowledge about dry climate and
regional herbal geography these results were
expected.
In contrast , house dust mite were reported to have
the highest rate of sensitization among Malaysian
asthmatic patients 10 and patients with allergic rhinitis
in Thailand,11 Singapore12 and Mexico city.13
This difference also was expected since mite tends
to require high humidity and moderate temperature to
thrive, whereas Karaj city had a dry climate.
Pollens such as weeds family and sycamore are
the major aeroallergen in Karaj city and this high
prevalence of skin reactivity to weeds and sycamore
denote to variation in the prevalence of aeroallergens
reactivity in different region with different climates.
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