Investigation and Analysis of Inhalant Allergens in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis in Yinchuan, China.

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to analyze the types and distribution characteristics of major inhalant allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) in Yinchuan, China.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 2,000 outpatients suspected of having AR were included from 2022 to 2023 at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University. Skin prick tests were performed on the included individuals using 13 common inhalant allergens: house dust mites, dust mites, tropical mites, Artemisia, dog hair, ragweed, cat hair, grass pollen, tree pollen, mold group I, mold group IV, German cockroach (Blattella germanica), and American cockroach (Periplaneta americana). The results of the skin prick tests were summarized, and patients with positive results were grouped by ethnicity, gender, and age to compare the differences in the positive rates of various inhalant allergens between the groups. The number of patients visiting each month was recorded to analyze the temporal variation in the incidence rate and compare the differences in the main inhalant sensitizers among patients in each quarter.

RESULTS

Among the 2,000 included patients, there were 1,060 males and 940 females, with an average age of 18.7 years. Among the 2,000 outpatients who underwent allergen skin prick tests, 1,346 cases (67.30%) had positive results. The inhalant allergens were ranked in descending order of positive rates as follows: Artemisia (53.25%), dust mites (51.10%), house dust mites (49.10%), ragweed (45.70%), tropical mites (43.15%), dog hair (19.20%), cat hair (16.05%), American cockroach (12.10%), German cockroach (11.25%), grass pollen (9.15%), tree pollen (7.10%), mold group I (6.10%), and mold group IV (5.05%). There were no statistically significant differences in positive rates between different ethnicities or genders (all p > 0.05). Compared to patients aged 18 years and above, patients under 18 years old had statistically significant differences in positive rates for dust mites, Artemisia, ragweed, mold group I, and German cockroach (all p < 0.05). The seasonal distribution indicated that autumn had the highest number of patient visits in a year (579 cases, 58.95%).

CONCLUSION

Artemisia and dust mites were the major inhalant allergens in patients with suspected AR in Yinchuan, China. The positive rate of inhalant allergen skin prick tests was not correlated with the ethnicity or gender of the local population. Autumn was the season with the highest frequency of visits by patients with suspected AR.