Characteristics of inhaled allergen spectrum between allergic rhinitis and asthma of children in Chongqing

Objective To investigate the distribution characteristics of inhaled allergens in children with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma in Chongqing. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 9 420 children with AR and asthma who underwent inhaled allergen skin prick test (SPT) in our department from January 2021 to September 2022 in Chongqing.According to the clinical diagnosis, these children were divided into the AR group (n=2 217) and the asthma group (n=7 023).Chi-square test was used to compare the detection rate of inhaled allergen SPT in 2 groups of children and the difference in the detection rate of inhaled allergen SPT between the 2 groups in terms of gender, age group and season, respectively. Results The detection rate of inhaled allergen SPT was 71.6% in the AR group and 57.9% in the asthma group (Chi-square=132.664, P < 0.001).The primary inhalant allergens in the 2 groups were dust mites (65.4%, 50.3%), house dust mites (65.0%, 50.4%), cockroach (10.2%, 7.9%), cat hair (8.3%, 6.0%), and corn pollen (6.5%, 6.1%), and children accepted test mainly had dual (57.1%/54.7%) and triple (22.2%/20.8%) inhaled allergens.In the AR group, the detection rate of inhaled allergens was higher in boys than that in girls (Chi-square=7.011, P=0.008), and the gender difference only appeared in the asthma group for the detection rate of cockroach (Chi-square=21.671, P < 0.001).In the AR group, the highest detection rates for dust mites and house dust mites happened in summer, while the highest detection rates for duck hair happened in spring; In the asthma group, the summer witnessed the highest detection rates for dust mites and house dust mites and the spring experienced the highest detection rates for corn, birch pollen and dog hair.The detection rate of inhaled allergens in children with AR and asthma was increased with age, and the detection rate of inhaled allergens in the AR group aged 1~10 years was higher than that in the asthma group of the same age group. Conclusion The inhaled allergens of children with AR and asthma in Chongqing are mainly from indoor sources.AR is dominated by perennial inhaled allergens compared with asthma, and the trends of the distribution for inhaled allergens in AR and asthma were similar.