Skin reactivity to allergens in Rabigh area, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This study determined the pattern of skin prick test reactivity to allergens in patients with airway allergy residing in Rabigh Area, based on data analysis of skin prick test results. Skin prick tests of 160 Saudi attended Al Nakheel Polyclinic between July, 2012 and April, 2013. Allergen extracts set was used to test them. Out 160 patients, 114 [71%] reacted to one or more allergens, who were 73 [64%] adults and 41 [36%] children. The majority of adults [17.8%] reacted to six allergens and children [19.5%] reacted to five ones. The most frequently reacting allergen was house dust mites followed by Candida albicans then Cladosporium spp. The maximum number of positive tests per patients was 13 in adults, compared to 10 in children. A significantly higher proportion of adults were reacting to house dust mites, Aspergillus and Penicillium. Sensitivity to allergens was common in patients with airway allergy residing in Rabigh area

Total IgE and absolute eosinophils count as a predictor of allergic diseases in children

To study the role of both serum total IgE levels and the absolute eosinophils count, total IgE alone, absolute eosinophils count alone as a marker of allergy in children, and to see their association with the host factors [age and sex]. A retrospective study was conducted at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital - Jeddah [KAUH], during the year 2008. Three hundred children below the age of fifteen years meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled for the study. Serum total IgE levels and absolute eosinophils count were done in all patients. Data was collected and tabulated. Chi-square was applied to test the association of the variables using SPSS and p-value of <0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Out of 300 patients, 27[9%] had raised both serum total IgE and absolute eosinophils count, 146[48.67%] had raised serum total IgE alone, 40[13.3%] had raised absolute eosinophils count alone. Both IgE plus absolute eosinophilic count, total IgE alone and absolute eosinophilic count alone are not significantly related to the child sex with [P-values 0.759, 0.742, 0.699] respectively, however all are related significantly to the child age [P-values <0.004, <0.001, <0.012] respectively. All are not related significantly to systemic allergies except the significant relation between the absolute eosinophils count with atopic dermatitis [P-value <0.031]. Serum total IgE level and absolute eosinophils count, total IgE alone and absolute eosinophils count alone are not a good predictor of allergy in children except that the absolute eosinophils count can be considered as a strong predictor of atopic dermatitis in children. It's clear now, that as the child age increase the positivity of all the tests increase also