Abstract
Background
Allergy symptoms occur when the immune system overreacts to environmental allergens, such as pollen or dust, which are typically harmless to most individuals but induce a potentially severe reaction to those who are sensitive to them. Pollen is one of the main reasons to cause seasonal allergic respiratory diseases and it is influenced by multiple risk factors.
Objective
To determine the most prevalent types of allergenic pollens by skin prick testing among Egyptian patients with respiratory allergy (asthma and/or allergic rhinitis).
Methods
200 adult patients, all were subjected to the following: full detailed medical history, clinical examination, asthma severity grading according to the GINA Guidelines, allergic rhinitis severity grading according to ARIA Guidelines, pulmonary Function tests for asthmatic patients. (PFTs), CBC with differential for detection of eosinophilic count, Skin prick testing (SPT) to common environmental allergens and common food allergen.
Results
The present study proved that the grass pollens; timothy grass and maize were the most prevalent pollens among Egyptian respiratory allergy patients.
Conclusion
Difference in results of SPT performed to patients across different countries is explained by the difference in climates, which affects pollination, Egypt is considered to have a dry, desert-like climate in addition to its coastal regions. Our results revealed that both timothy grass and maize pollens were the most prevalent among Egyptian respiratory allergy patients.
Association between two TIM-1 Promoter SNPs (-416G>C and -1454G>A) and Allergic Rhinitis in Egyptian Patients
