Abstract
We investigated the positivity rates to various allergens in asthmatic children who visited our hospital, using a skin test and a radioallergosorbent test (BAST). The positivity rates determined by a skin test were as follows: house dust (HD) 64%, Alternaria 17%, Candida 5%, Cladosporium 2%, Cocksfoot 36%, Japanese hop 22%, cat epitherium 32%, dog dander 17%, buckwheat 13% and egg white 8%. When compared to the reported results in the other areas, the positivity rates to pollens and cat epitherium were higher and those to HD and fungi except for Alternaria were lower. Similar results were obtained by the determination of allergen-specific IgE antibody using RAST. We further studied whether the positivity rates in ashmatic children with other allergic diseases were different from those in children with bronchial asthma alone; although the rate to Cocksfoot (54%) was higher in the presence of allergic rhinitis, it is interesting that children with bronchial asthma alone showed a positivity rate of 32%. These findings indicate that the sensitization to allergens varies in different geographical areas and may be influenced by climatic and personal environments.
