Prevalence of rat and mouse sensitization in Asian patients with respiratory allergy.

BACKGROUND: Skin prick test (SPT) is useful in identifying rat and mouse sensitization. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of rat and mouse sensitization by using local and commercial allergen extracts. METHODS: Patients with allergic rhinitis or asthma were recruited. SPT of local and commercial rat and mouse allergen extracts were performed. The level of rat and mouse specific IgE (sIgE) was quantified in all patients with positive SPT and randomized patients with negative SPT. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty patients, 108 male (47%) and median age 14 years (3.2-63.5 years), were enrolled. Rat sensitization by SPT was 11.7% and mouse sensitization was 17.8%. SPT result to local rat and commercial rat allergen extracts were moderately correlated (rs = 0.51, p < 0.001), while SPT result to local mouse and commercial mouse allergen extracts showed low correlation (rs = 0.38, p < 0.001). The concordance of SPT results between local rat and commercial rat allergen extracts was 90.4%. Concordance between the local mouse and commercial mouse allergen extracts was 85.2%. When compared with rat and mouse sIgE, the concordance of local rat, commercial rat and commercial mouse allergen extract were > 80% while that of local mouse was 54.4%. No adverse effect was observed in SPT with any allergen or extract. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of rat and mouse sensitization was low compared to the study in USA. SPT with local rat and mouse allergen extract was safe and showed good concordance with the SPT result of commercial allergen extracts and rat and mouse sIgE levels.

Evaluating the impact of allergic rhinitis on quality of life among Thai students.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) in Thailand continues to rise. We report the prevalence and evaluate its impact upon quality of life (QoL) in students on a metropolitan campus. METHODS: From March 2013 to February 2014, 222 students from Thammasat University Medical School were evaluated using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Questionnaire (ISAAC) questionnaire and the rhinoconjunctivitis QoL questionnaire (Rcq-36) to assess subjective symptoms. Those students with clinical symptoms of AR underwent skin prick testing (SPT) using 5 common allergens found in Thailand. The association between AR and QoL was then determined using a paired t test. RESULTS: A total of 222 students were enrolled in the study; 86 (38.7%) were men. There were 183 (81.9%) students with AR symptoms and 130 (71.4%) students with positive results for SPT. The students' QoL as defined by the Rcq-36 revealed a significant worsening in students who self-reported rhinitis symptoms within the past 12 months. Compared to the non-AR group, in those with AR, eye symptoms were significantly more common. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of AR at a college campus was 58.5%. The presence of rhinitis symptoms was the highest predictor of the presence of AR, with 67.7% having subsequent positive SPT. Students with AR had poorer scores in every dimension of QoL as defined by the Rcq-36 when compared to their non-AR counterparts. Educational performances among the 2 groups were unaffected.