Effect of Age on Allergen Responses of Allergic Patients in Southern Taiwan

南台灣過敏患者之年齡對過敏原反應的影響

蔣雯(Wen Chiang) ； 蔡吟芬(Inn-Feng Tsai) ； 蔡文展(Wen-Chan Tsai) ； 陳百薰(Bai-Hsiun Chen)

《The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences》 20卷7期 (2004/07) Pp. 323-329

摘要

To survey airborne and food allergen patterns in southern Taiwan and to analyze the effect of age on response to different allergens, we tested samples from 4,411 allergic patients at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital using the MAST-CLA test (new Taiwan panel). A total of 2,212 (50.1%) samples showed a positive response. We grouped allergic patients into five age groups. Milk and egg white were the main food allergens in the younger groups (＜ 3 years old and 3-6 years old). Shrimp, crab, and shellfish were the main allergens in the groups aged 7-12, 13-18, and more than 18 years. Among airborne allergens, house dust and mites Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus were the main allergens in all age groups, whereas the frequency of response to cockroach allergen was low in the group aged less than 3 years, but increased in the other age groups. There was a sharp increase in the frequency of response to airborne allergens after 3 years old and a sharp decrease in response to food allergens. Among subjects allergic to both airborne and food allergens, there was a positive MAST-CLA rate of 19.9% to 26% (all five age groups, no significant difference). When we compared our results with those from Taipei Veterans General Hospital in northern Taiwan, there were significant differences for yeast, peanut, feather mix, dog dander, cockroach, D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus allergens (p ＜ 0.01). These differences were probably caused by differences in patient location, patient age, disease patterns and allergen panels.

關鍵字

多項過敏原篩檢法 ； 南台灣 ； 食入性過敏原 ； 吸入性過敏原

並列摘要

To survey airborne and food allergen patterns in southern Taiwan and to analyze the effect of age on response to different allergens, we tested samples from 4,411 allergic patients at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital using the MAST-CLA test (new Taiwan panel). A total of 2,212 (50.1%) samples showed a positive response. We grouped allergic patients into five age groups. Milk and egg white were the main food allergens in the younger groups (＜ 3 years old and 3-6 years old). Shrimp, crab, and shellfish were the main allergens in the groups aged 7-12, 13-18, and more than 18 years. Among airborne allergens, house dust and mites Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus were the main allergens in all age groups, whereas the frequency of response to cockroach allergen was low in the group aged less than 3 years, but increased in the other age groups. There was a sharp increase in the frequency of response to airborne allergens after 3 years old and a sharp decrease in response to food allergens. Among subjects allergic to both airborne and food allergens, there was a positive MAST-CLA rate of 19.9% to 26% (all five age groups, no significant difference). When we compared our results with those from Taipei Veterans General Hospital in northern Taiwan, there were significant differences for yeast, peanut, feather mix, dog dander, cockroach, D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus allergens (p ＜ 0.01). These differences were probably caused by differences in patient location, patient age, disease patterns and allergen panels.

並列關鍵字

MAST-CLA test ； allergic patterns ； southern Taiwan ； food allergens ； airborne allergens