The distribution of sensitization to common aeroallergens in patients with rhinitis and asthma in Şanlıurfa, Türkiye.

Introduction: Sensitization to common environmental aeroallergens plays a significant role in the pathogenesis and severity of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Knowledge on the sensitization pattern helps allergen avoidance, prediction of the severity of the disease, and use of specific immunotherapy for the most common allergens. The distribution of sensitization to aeroallergens differs in every region of Türkiye. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the allergen sensitization profiles of patients with asthma and rhinitis in Şanlıurfa, which is in Southeast Türkiye.

Materials and methods: Patients with rhinitis and asthma who presented to the outpatient clinic of adult immunology and allergy between April 2021- 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. Demographic information (age, sex), rhinitis and asthma duration, location of residence, allergic and non-allergic comorbidities, smoking history and skin prick test results were extracted from medical records.

Results: A total of 472 skin prick tests were performed on patients (35.4% males; 64.6% females), with a mean age of 33.8 years, and 120 (25.4%) were negative for skin reaction. The frequency of sensitivity to allergens was: grass (42.6%), cereal mixtures (41.5%), timothy grass (37.9%), cockroach (37.3%), olive tree (35%), house dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae 27.5%, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus 20.8%). In patients with only rhinitis (n= 305), the most frequent aeroallergen was pollen (grasses 43.6%; cereal mixtures 43.3%; timothy grass 41.6%; olive pollen 37.4%). In patients with asthma and rhinitis (n= 134), the most frequent aeroallergen was grass (44.8%). In patients with only asthma (n= 33), the most frequent aeroallergens were D. farinae (27.3%) and cockroach (27.3%).

Conclusion: The most frequently detected allergens in this study were pollen, cockroach, and house dust mites, respectively. The findings revealed that pollen was the most frequent aeroallergen in subjects with allergic rhinitis with and without asthma. In patients with only asthma, the most frequent aeroallergen was house dust mites.