Skin test reactivity to inhalant and food allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis

Shahnaz Murad¹, Balwant Singh Gendeh², Nasuruddin Abdullah³

1. Allergy & Immunology Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan, Malaysia

3. Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia

Correspondence: Dr Shahnaz Murad; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CITATION: Shahnaz Murad, Balwant Singh Gendeh, Nasuruddin Abdullah. Skin test reactivity to inhalant and food allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis. International Medical Research Journal. 2001;5(2):69–73. 

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ABSTRACT

Allergic rhinitis is induced by an lgE-mediated inflammation after allergen exposure. An important component in the management of patients with allergic rhinitis is allergen avoidance. Allergen avoidance can help reduce disease severity and minimise treatment. The most common method of identifying provoking allergens is through a skin test. There is a wide range of allergens available for skin testing. In this study we determined the skin test reactivity to inhalant allergens and evaluated the role of food allergens in local patients with allergic rhinitis. Six hundred and seventy nine patients diagnosed as having allergic rhinitis were skin tested to 11 inhalant and 12 food allergens. Most of the subjects (94.0%), skin tested positive to at least one inhalant allergen. Three hundred and eighty-four (56.5%) patients had positive skin test to at least one inhalant and one food allergen. The most common allergens were Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (87.6%), Dermatophagoides farinae (86.0%), cat fur (49.6%), cockroach (31.2%), shrimp (44.2%) and crab (25.8%). Although pollen and fungi are commonly implicated in other studies, only a small percentage of our patients had positive skin test to these allergens. The selection of appropriate allergens for skin testing local patients with allergic rhinitis should include the above common allergens. Additional allergens should be added to the panel based on the patient's history and exposure.

KEYWORDS: allergic rhinitis, skin testing, allergens