Abstract
ABSTRACT
Allergens are known to be a significant cause of asthma. The aim of this study was to assess immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody reactivity to fungi, basidiomycetes and fungi imperfecti, house dust mites, cockroaches, and other indoor allergens, in young asthmatics with acute asthma exacerbation. Forty-nine subjects (2.5 months to 14 years old, mean age 7.3 years) presenting to the emergency room with symptoms of acute asthma were tested for specific IgE antibodies to basidiomycetes, fungi imperfecti, German and American cockroach, cat, and house dust mites. Positive radioallergosorbent test (RAST) reactivity was most frequent (67.3%) and the greatest (up to 62.6%) to house dust mites. Children older than 5 years exhibited a substantial increase in mite-specific positive RAST reactivity compared to younger children. Frequency of IgE antibodies increased from 77% of subjects older than 2 years of age to 88% of subjects older than 6 years. The basis of this increase in mite reactivity after age of 5 years remains to be determined. IgE reactivities to German and American cockroach allergens were second to those to mite both in frequency and magnitude. The frequency of German cockroach-specific IgE reactivity (31.2%) was higher than those to American cockroach (19.6%), underlying the role of German cockroaches as the major source of indoor insect aeroallergens. In this study, 36.7% of the subjects reacted to basidiomycetes and 28.3% reacted to fungi imperfecti;
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