engleski

Allergy to cockroaches and mite Blomia tropicalis in pulmonary outpatients from Mediterranean region of Croatia

Background: The prevalence of allergy to cockroaches Blattella germanica and Blattella orientalis, and mite Blomia tropicalis is not known in adult subject from Mediterranean region of Croatia In this study, skin reactivity to these allergens was studied in patients with respiratory symptoms living in Mediterranean region of Croatia. Methods: The study included 105 adult outpatients (mean age 45.12 &#61617; 16.59 years), 64 women and 41 men, consecutively examined in Department for pulmonary diseases in University Hospital Split. All subjects answered a standard questionnaire and underwent the skin prick test (SPT) with B. germanica, B.orientalis, Blomia tropicalis (LETI, Madrid, Spain), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagodies farinae (Allergopharma, Germany) allergens. Mean urtica diameter 3 mm or larger than the negative control was considered positive SPT. Total serum IgE levels were measured using ELISA method (IASON, Austria) in all subjects. Values > 150 kU/L were considered increased. Results: Positive SPT to Blomia tropicalis was observed in 10/105 (9.5%) patients, to B.orietalis in 9/105 (8.6%), to B.germanica in 6/105 (5.7%), to D.pteronyssinus in 15/105 (14.3%), and to D.farinae in 14/105 (13.3%) patients. Two patients were monosensitized to Blomia tropicalis, and two to B.orientalis. Correlations in mean skin reactivity were significant between all 5 tested allergens (P<0.0001). These correlations were significanly higher between Blomia tropicalis and B.orientalis (r= 0.86), Blomia tropicalis and B.germanica (r= 0.82), than between Blomia tropicalis and D.pteronyssinus (r=0.55), and Blomia tropicalis and D.farinae (r=0.52) (P=0.0002). Checking for other possible cofounders (age, sex, urban or rural living conditions, type of heating, keeping pets) did not show any significant associations with skin reactivity to tested allergens. Conclusions: Our results established a low prevalence of SPT positive subjects to cockroaches (8.6%) and to Blomia tropicalis (9.5%) in adult patients with respiratory symptoms living in Mediterranean region of Croatia. Results also suggest the cross-reactivity between tested allergens, which is stronger between B. tropicalis and cockroaches, than between B. tropicalis and pyroglyphid mites.

hypersensitivity; cockroaches; Blomia tropicalis; pulmonary patients

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