Eight Aeroallergen Skin Extracts May Be the Optimal Panel for Allergic Rhinitis Patients in Central China

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) is increasing rapidly in Central China. The skin prick test (SPT) is the standard tool with which to determine the allergen sensitization status in AR patients. Changes in allergen sensitization patterns have been observed within countries and regions due to geographical and seasonal variations. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> The aim of this study was to evaluate the profile of SPT reactivity to different aeroallergens in AR patients and to suggest a minimal panel of allergens to detect sensitized patients in Central China. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> From January 2015 to December 2016, patients who presented to Tongji Hospital with suspected AR were tested with the same panel of 19 aeroallergens. The results of SPT were analyzed to determine the minimum test battery panel necessary to cover 99% of the cases of SPT sensitization in different age subgroups. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 2,416 patients (male:female ratio 1.2:1) were enrolled in our study with an average age of 22.0 years. The overall rate of sensitization to any allergen was 79.0%, and 64.3% of the subjects were monosensitized. The highest sensitized rate was found in the subgroup aged 14-18 years (92.0%), followed by the subgroups of 6-14 years (86.4%), >18 years (75.6%), and ≤6 years (74.9%). The most common sensitization was to <i>Dermatophagoides farinae</i> (71.1%). Testing with 8 allergens (<i>D. pteronyssinus</i>,<i> D. farinae</i>,<i> Platanus</i>,<i> Artemisia</i>,<i> Cryptomeria</i>,<i> Blatella germanica</i>,<i> Humulus</i>, and <i>Alternaria</i>) was sufficient to identify over 99% of the sensitized patients. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> An SPT panel covering 8 allergen extracts was able to detect almost all sensitized patients suffering from AR symptoms in Central China.