Pattern of allergic sensitization in chronic rhinitis: A 19-year retrospective study

Background: The pattern of allergic sensitization provides data for physicians to take appropriate care of allergic patients. Objective: To analyze the long-term pattern of allergen skin prick test (SPT) sensitization at a single tertiary care hospital in Thailand. Methods: Medical records of adult rhinitis patients during 1998 to 2017 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were chronic rhinitis with positive SPT to at least one aeroallergen in the test panel. Outcome measures were SPT results, clinical symptoms, and their effect on patient quality of life (QoL). Descriptive statistics were used to demonstrate the pattern of sensitization. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify association between evaluated factors and patient QoL. Results: Six thousand five hundred and seventeen adult patients were included in this study. Mean age was 36.4 ± 13.8 years. A majority of patients (59.4%) had positive SPT, and 83.7% of those had polysensitization. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and sedge were the most common indoor (54.8%) and outdoor allergens (37.7%), respectively. Compared among the various periods of data collection over a 19-year period, there was no major change in the pattern of sensitization. Considering the most recent data from 2013-2017, the prevalence of sensitization increased from 66.8% to 73.7% (p < 0.001). Clinical symptoms, except sneezing and allergen sensitization, affect QoL of chronic rhinitis patients (p < 0.001). Conclusion: House dust mite and sedge are the most common indoor and outdoor allergens. There was no major change in the pattern of sensitization. Almost all allergic symptoms significantly affect QoL.