Boys with Allergic Rhinitis Who Were Sensitized to Blomia Tropicalis Are the Most Vulnerable to Air Pollutants

Background Studies have confirmed the detrimental effects of air pollutants on allergic disease patients. However, individuals who are most vulnerable have not been completely identified. Methods Clinical study: During 2007 to 2011, 225 children aged 6 to 15 years with allergic rhinitis (AR) were recruited from a hospital in Taichung City, Taiwan. They were classified based on sensitivity to house dust mites, such as Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Blomia tropicalis (Bt), or Dermatophagoides microceras. Correlations between Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ) scores, allergen-specific immunoglobulin E levels, and air pollution levels were evaluated. Epidemiological study: Records of 9868 children with AR who were matched for study years, age, and city of the clinical study were obtained from a national database. Correlations between clinic visits for AR, topical AR drug prescriptions, and air pollution levels were evaluated. The air pollutants included sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), particles <10 μm in diameter (PM10), particles <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC), and methane (CH4). Results Epidemiological study: CO, NO, NO2, and CH4 levels were significantly correlated with topical AR drug prescriptions in boys. However, in girls, only CH4 level was significantly correlated. Clinical study: Positive correlations between the PRQLQ score and air pollutants were noted in boys but not in girls. After adjusting for confounders, correlations between CO, PM2.5, and NO2 levels were noted in boys sensitized to Bt but not in those sensitized to other mites. Conclusion Boys with AR were more vulnerable to air pollutants than girls. Bt-sensitized boys with AR were more vulnerable to air pollutants than girls and those sensitized to other mites.