211 Influence of Degree of Specific Allergic Sensitivity on Severity of Rhinitis and Asthma in Chinese Allergic Patients

BACKGROUND: The associations between sensitizations and severity of allergic diseases are controversial. This study was to investigate the association between severity of asthma and rhinitis and degree of specific allergic sensitivity in allergic patients in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed in 6,304 patients with asthma and/or rhinitis from 4 regions of China. Patients completed a standardized questionnaire related to the respiratory and allergic symptoms, their impact on sleep, daily activities, school and work. They also underwent skin prick tests with 13 common aeroallergens. 2,268 of them were taken blood for serum specific IgE (sIgE) measurements for 16 common aeroallergens. RESULTS: Significantly higher percentage of patients with moderate-severe intermittent rhinitis were sensitized to outdoor allergens while percentage of patients sensitized to indoor allergens was increased with increasing severity of asthma. Moderate-severe intermittent rhinitis was related to skin wheal size and sIgE to Artemisia vulgaris and Ambrosia artemisifolia (P < 0.001). Moderate-severe asthma was associated with increasing in skin and sIgE response to Dermatophagoides (D.) pteronyssinus and D. farinae (P < 0.001). Moderate-severe rhinitis and asthma were also associated with increasing in number of skin and sIgE sensitized allergens. CONCLUSIONS: Outdoor allergen sensitizations are significantly associated with severity of intermittent rhinitis and indoor allergen sensitizations are significantly associated with severity of asthma in patients in China. Number of allergen sensitization is also related to severity of rhinitis and asthma.