Study on the Role of Alternaria alternata in the Etiology of Allergic Asthma in Patients Admitted to Loghman Hospital by using the Skin Prick Test and Solid-phase Immunoassay

Objective: The prevalence of respiratory allergies, especially those induced by fungi such as Alternaria alternata, has dramatically increased over the past decade. This increase has caused major health problems worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the role of A. alternata in the etiology of allergic asthma, by using the skin prick test and assessment of IgE specific to the fungus in the patient's sera. Methods: This study enrolled ۲۰۲ patients with allergic asthma, aged ۱۲ to ۸۳ years. Participants included ۴۰.۱% males and ۵۹.۹% females who were enrolled after recording demographic information. A skin prick test with the whole cellextract of A. alternata was performed on the epidermis of the patients' forearms. Histamine and normal saline were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Serum levels of IgE specific for A. alternata were measured for all patients using the ImmunoCAP Phadiatop method in which the specific A. alternata allergen cocktail that connected to the solid phase reacted to IgE antibodies in each patient's sera. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance and chi-square tests. Results: Among ۲۰۲ patients with allergic asthma, ۱۴ (۶.۹۳%) had mild asthma, ۷۳ (۳۶.۱۰%) were moderate asthmatics and ۱۱۵ (۵۶.۹۰%) had severe asthma. In total, ۱۴ (۶.۹۳%) patients were positive for both the skin test and IgE specific to A. alternata, ۳۵ (۱۷.۳۳%) had negative specific IgE and positive skin test results, and ۳۶ (۱۷.۸۲%) had a positive specific IgE and negative skin test. A total of ۱۱۷ (۵۷.۹۲%) patients were negative for both tests. Conclusion: The results of this study showed the presence of IgE specific for A. alternata in ۵۰ of ۲۰۲ (۲۴.۷۵%) patients diagnosed with allergic asthma. The skin prick test was successfully used as a screening test. The results were further confirmed by solid-phase immunoassay of the IgE specific for A. alternata crude allergenic extract.

کلیدواژه ها:

Allergy ، Skin prick test ، Alternaria alternata ، Solid-phase immunoassay ، Allergic asthma ، آلرژی ، آزمون پوستی پریک ، آ. آلترناتا ، ایمونواسی فاز جامد ، آسم آلرژیک