Skin Prick Test Reactivity to Common Pollen Aeroallergens in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis − in Urban Bangalore, India

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most prevalent of all allergic diseases. Aeroallergens play a major role in the pathogenesis of respiratory allergic diseases, like AR and asthma. Pollen, fungi, animal dander, house dust mites, domestic pets, and insects are of particular importance as common triggers.

Objectives: The main objective of this study was to assess the sensitivity to common pollen allergens in patients with Allergic Rhinitis (AR) patients visiting the ENT Allergy clinic in a tertiary care hospital in urban Bangalore.

Material and method: A detailed history of the symptoms of AR and clinical examination was carried out for each patient. The ARIA classification was used for elucidating the severity of AR. We also performed a nasal smear test for eosinophilia and skin prick testing.

Result: Out of the 100 patients with AR, 59% of the patients had persistent AR, out of which 46% were of moderate-severe persistent AR. The overall rate of sensitisation to any allergen was 95.2 %. The most prevalent aeroallergen sensitization was found to be Parthenium hysterophorus (33%), Amaranthus spinosus (23%), Eucalyptus (21%), Cynodan dactylon (20%), followed by Casuarina equisetifolia (19%).

Conclusion: Bangalore has a high prevalence of AR. The successful treatment of this condition needs appropriate diagnosis and therefore a better understanding of the aeroallergen spectrum and sensitivity patterns.