Aeroallergen Sensitization and Clinical Characteristics of Subjects with Chronic Rhinitis in Chiang Mai, Thailand: A Twenty-Year Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of common aeroallergen sensitization in subjects with AR and clinical comparison between AR and Non-AR (NAR) subjects in Thailand remains limited. The primary objective of this study was to illustrate the prevalence of the common aeroallergen sensitization in AR subjects and the differences in clinical characteristics between AR and NAR subjects. METHODS: Data were retrospectively collected from all subjects with chronic rhinitis who have visited the Chest and Allergy Clinic in three settings in Chiang Mai, Thailand between January 1998 and December 2018. Clinical characteristics and the result of skin prick test (SPT) to common aeroallergen were collected. RESULTS: A total of 2164 subjects with chronic rhinitis were enrolled, SPT was performed in 1001 (46.3%); 655 (65.4%) and 346 (34.6%) were AR and NAR, respectively. Mite mixed was the most frequent aeroallergen sensitization in subjects with AR both without asthma and with asthma (86.4% and 85.6%) followed by cockroach mixed (54.4% and 58.9%), grass pollen (38.9% and 40.4%), animal dander (15.5% and 19.9%), and mold mixed (5.7% and 11.0%). Polysensitization was higher in younger adults compared to middle aged adult and older adult (72.5%, 67.4%, and 58.7%, respectively, p=0.041). The AR subjects had lower age, earlier age of disease onset, and longer duration of disease (32.6±16.3 vs 40.2±15.4 years, 24 (10–36) vs 34 years (22–45), 3 (1–10) vs 2 years (0–5), respectively, p<0.001). The AR subjects also had more asthma, conjunctivitis, and family history of chronic rhinitis (22.3% vs 15.6%, 25.3% vs 4.3%, and 58.0% vs 43.3%, respectively, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The most common aeroallergen for AR (with and without asthma) was mite mixed followed by cockroach mixed and grass pollen. Polysensitization was significant higher in younger adult than middle aged and older adult. AR was significantly associated with asthma, conjunctivitis and family history of chronic rhinitis compared to NAR.