Aeroallergen Sensitization and Its Changes in Adult Asthmatics Managed by Primary Care in the Western Yokohama, Japan.

BACKGROUND

Knowledge of aeroallergen sensitizations is important for environmental adjustment in asthma management. We investigated the allergen sensitization status of adult asthmatics managed by primary care physicians.

METHODS

We recruited 119 patients who measured "IgE-CAP16 allergic asthma (LSI medience)" three times in 2 years from patients who visited St. Marianna University Yokohama Seibu Hospital, between January 2009 and May 2018, and managed by primary care physicians.

RESULTS

Sensitization rates (IgE Class ≧ 1) were high for house dust (33.6%), Japanese cedar (54.6%), mite (34.4%), and moth (24.3%) at baseline. Frequent associations were found at baseline between house dust and mite and, between Japanese cedar and cypress, as well as among insects and among fungi. Cluster analysis classified the IgE responses into seven categories. Allergens for which 10% of subjects changed to Class ≧1 over the 2 years were house dust (20.1%), mite (12.6%), Japanese cedar (31.1%), cypress (24.3%), ragweed (10.9%), moth (18.5%), Candida (21.8%), and Aspergillus (16.8%). Thirty-five subjects (29.4%) had no changes in any sensitization levels. Allergens with a correlation coefficient (R) of ≧0.3 between Δspecific IgE and Δtotal IgE were with ΔIgE were ΔAlternaria (0.366), Δmoth (0.307), and Δalder (0.302). The degree of asthma control was not associated with changes in the ImmunoCAP IgE class.

CONCLUSION

Aeroallergens were classified into seven clusters. Even in stable asthma managed by primary care physicians, allergen sensitization can change, so that these changes should be checked over time.