[Sensitization to aeroallergens in adults with allergic rhinitis in a tertiary care hospital in Mexico City].

BACKGROUND

Allergic rhinitis is the most common allergic disease in the world. Asthma and conjunctivitis are highly associated comorbidities, with dust mites being one of the main sources of involved allergens. The primary objective was to identify the most frequent aeroallergens in patients with allergic rhinitis, as well as to evaluate demographic factors and determine the most prevalent comorbidities.

METHOD: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational, and retrospective study through the review of clinical records of patients diagnosed with allergic rhinitis treated in the Immunotherapy Clinic of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Service.

RESULTS

A total of 200 patients were studied, 74% of whom were women, with a median age of 38 years. The majority of the population evaluated were from the southern areas of Mexico City, mainly from the Iztapalapa delegation (22.50%), Álvaro Obregón (14%), and Coyoacán (12.50%). The most frequent comorbidities were asthma (61%) and conjunctivitis (60%). 88% of the patients showed polysensitization. Fraxinus excelsior was the most frequent aeroallergen (47.50%), followed by dust mites, Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus (42%) and Dermatophagoides Farinae (40%).

CONCLUSIONS

Although dust mites are typically considered the most frequent allergens, in this study, Fraxinus was the most prevalent. The comorbidities correspond exactly as described in the literature. The study successfully achieved its primary objective of identifying the most common comorbidities and demographic factors, providing better insight into the characteristics of our current population.