Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jeju National University College of Medicine, Jeju, Republic of Korea.
The Environmental Health Center (Atopic Dermatitis and Allergic Rhinitis), Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea.
Sci Rep. 2019 Jul 19;9(1):10496. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-47124-5.
Sensitization to seasonal allergens usually requires repeated exposure to them. However, research on the extent of exposure that increases the risk of sensitization to specific allergens is lacking. Therefore, we investigated the levels of exposure to Japanese cedar pollen that increased the risk of sensitization to it. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 857 college students living in Jeju, South Korea, as it is the only province in Korea where Japanese cedar pollen levels are high. Questionnaires about demographic characteristics were distributed and skin prick tests for allergic sensitization were performed. Sensitization rates of groups divided by residence period were 3.8% (less than 1 year), 1.8% (1-2 years), 8.5% (2-3 years), 10.3% (3-4 years), 14.8% (4-10 years), and 19.1% (over 10 years). Residence period was an influencing factor of sensitization rate to Japanese cedar pollen, and the cut-off value of the residence period that increased the risk of sensitization to Japanese cedar pollen was found to be 25 months. Repeated exposure to seasonal allergens was related to an increased sensitization rate in young adults. Our results suggested that exposure to Japanese cedar pollen for over two seasons could increase the risk in Korean adults.
对季节性过敏原的致敏作用通常需要反复暴露于它们。然而，缺乏关于增加对特定过敏原致敏风险的暴露程度的研究。因此，我们研究了增加对它致敏风险的日本雪松花粉暴露水平。在韩国济州岛进行了一项横断面研究，因为它是韩国唯一一个日本雪松花粉水平高的省份。我们分发了关于人口统计学特征的问卷，并进行了过敏致敏的皮肤点刺试验。根据居住时间划分的组的致敏率分别为 3.8%（<1 年）、1.8%（1-2 年）、8.5%（2-3 年）、10.3%（3-4 年）、14.8%（4-10 年）和 19.1%（>10 年）。居住时间是日本雪松花粉致敏率的影响因素，发现增加日本雪松花粉致敏风险的居住时间临界值为 25 个月。季节性过敏原的反复暴露与年轻人致敏率的增加有关。我们的结果表明，暴露于日本雪松花粉超过两个季节可能会增加韩国成年人的风险。
