Objective: To study the high risk factors of allergen sensitization among 1-16 years old children with allergic rhinitis (AR) symptoms.
Methods: Medical history was collected from 518 children with AR symptoms aged 1 to 16 years old between April 2011 and November 2012, including five aspects:basic information, disease characteristics, associated with other allergic diseases, growth and development history and genetic history and so on. The allergens were determined by UniCAP 100 system. The high risk factors of allergen sensitization (sIgE ≥ grade III) among 1-16 years old children with AR symptoms were analyzed. The data processing and statistical analysis were conducted by SPSS 17.0 software.
Results: Three hundred and thirty of 518 patients (63.7%) could be diagnosed as AR. The primary allergen was mixed fungal (52.4%). The highest percentage of allergen sIgE ≥ grade III accounted for the corresponding allergen positive cases was 71.1% (mixed fungal). Single factor analysis of clinical characteristics in the groups of AR and non AR showed that the history of months(χ(2) = -3.591), concomitant allergic conjunctivitis (χ(2) = 12.325) and cats or dogs at home (χ(2) = 5.615) were statistically significant between the two groups (all P < 0.05).In children with AR, single factor analysis of clinical characteristics in the groups of whether positive allergen level ≥ grade III showed that the concomitant asthma(χ(2) = 4.097), breastfeeding(χ(2) = 4.186), the housing situation (χ(2) = 4.360) and the bedroom toward (χ(2) = 4.656) were statistically significant between the two groups (all P < 0.05). In children with AR, single factor analysis of clinical characteristics in different age groups showed that the history of months(χ(2) = 64.999), concomitant eczema (χ(2) = 24.056), concomitant insect bite dermatitis (χ(2) = 9.148), cats or dogs at home (χ(2) = 8.529) and mother suffered from AR (χ(2) = 9.565) were statistically significant in different age groups (all P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The study revealed that the longer of history, concomitant allergic conjunctivitis and cats or dogs at home are risk factors for AR;In children with AR, not breastfeeding and the bedroom toward back are risk factors for inhalation allergen sIgE ≥ gradeIII.