Vol.103 No.2 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 103 No. 2 February 2010
The Positive Rate of Animal Allergen-specific IgE Antibodies Assessed in Nasal Allergy Patients Using the CAP-RAST System
Yukiyoshi Hyo, Tamotsu Harada, Shoudai Monjyu,
Katsumi Masuda, Kenji Fukutsuji and Takeshi Akisada
(Kawasaki Medical School)
The prevalence of allergic disease has increased over the last 30 years in Japan. Enviromental factors such as house dust mites, air pollution and hygine customs associated with a westernized life style have been identified as possibly playing important roles in this increase. In Japan, the number of the households with pets has gradually increased, together with the number of people who have animal allergies. Many reports have discussed the relationships between animal-related allergies and asthma, but few have looked at allergic rhinitis. This study discusses the sensitization to animal allergens in 1262 patients treated at the Kawasaki Medical School Department of Otolaryngology between 2000 and 2008, who were tested for serum specific IgE antibodies using the CAP-radioallergosorbent (CAP-RAST) test. Sensitization to animal allergens was seen in 313 patients, 25.0％ (male: 162 patients, female 151 patients). The highest sensitization was in teenagers, with the sensitization rate dropping concomitantly with age.
Animal-related allergies could thus become important antigens for future study.
Key words :animal allergen, allergic rhinitis, sensitization, CAP-radioallergosobent test