Aeroallergen sensitization and allergic disease phenotypes in Asia.

Allergic diseases are on the rise in Asia. Aeroallergen exposure is a strong risk factor for sensitization, development and severity of atopic diseases, especially in the Asian paediatric population. Geographical and seasonal variations in aeroallergen sensitization are seen even within Asian countries and changes in aeroallergen sensitization patterns have been observed over time. Some possible reasons include climate change as well as rapid urbanization and improved sanitation which follow socioeconomic development. House dust mite allergy is present in up to 90% of Asian atopic patients, far exceeding that which is seen in Western populations which report prevalences of only 50% to 70%. Pollen and animal dander affect less than 10% of Asian patients as compared to 40-70% of individuals with asthma and allergic rhinitis living in the West, a burden almost equivalent to the dust mite burden in those regions. There is thus a pressing need for preventive measures to reduce dust mite sensitization in Asian children today.