Serum allergen spectrum and prevalence in Shenzhen, China

Introduction Allergen sensitization is common phenomenon worldwide, with widely varying estimates of prevalence in the population. The characteristics and prevalence of allergens in Shenzhen were analyzed. Patients and methods Allergen-specific IgE results were investigated among 20,483 subjects from January 2016 to June 2020 based on Western blotting, and statistical analysis was performed on sIgE in patients of different ages, genders, months, mixed allergens and grades. Results Among 20,483 subjects, 13,149 (64.19%) were positive for at least a single allergen. The single allergen positive rate was 35.42%, the double allergen positive rate was 23.96%, and the triple allergen positive rate was 16.04%. The positive rate of sIgE in males was higher than that in females (69.15% and 60.02% respectively, P<0.01). The allergen detection rate varied with the age (P<0.05). The cumulative positive results were 35,083. Grade 1: 16,705 items, 47.61%; grade 2: 8003 items, 22.81%; grade 5: 3840 items, 10.94%. The positive rate of sIgE in March was the highest (82.20%), which was statistically significant compared with other months (P<0.05). Conclusion Our findings reveal that the positive rate of allergen is high in Shenzhen. Dust mites are the main allergen. There are differences in age, gender and month.