ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the main allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis in Zhengzhou district.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty standardization allergens were used to perform skin prick test in 1 139 patients with allergic rhinitis. The samples were divided into four groups according to the age of the patients. The distributions of different allergens in the four groups were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The top five inhaled allergens were dermatophagoides farina (920 cases, 80.8%), dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (870 cases, 76.4%), cat hair (517 cases, 45.4%), herbs (397 cases, 34.9%) and poaceae (353 cases, 31.0%); the top five ingestive ones were shrimp (143 cases, 12.6%), peanut (66 cases, 5.8%), egg (56 cases, 4.9%), carp (51 cases, 4.5%) and meat (48 cases, 4.2%). The distribution of allergens was different among the different age groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Dust mites, cat hair, herbs and poaceae were the most common allergens in Zhengzhou district.</p>