SENSITIZATION TO
COCKROACH ALLERGEN: CORRELATION TO CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF ASTHMA
Vamvakiti E.,
Kitsou K., Themeli-Digalaki E., Orkopoulou E., Koutsia-Karouzou C.,
Ziva-Petropoulou M., Papadakou-Lagogianni S.
Distict General
Hospital ¡°Asclepeio¡±, Voulas, Athens, Greece
Objective: Cockroach allergy has been recognized
as a significant factor that is possibly related to the increasing
prevelance of childhood asthma worldwide. Methods: As there is
scarce data from Greece, we studied 55 children which were either
hospitalized or examined at the Outpatient Clinics of the Paediatrics
Department, in order to evaluate the prevelance of sensitization to this
allergen in our country. Our patients were from urban areas of Southeastern
Attica, aged 13 months to 14 years, with total serum IgE above the mean for
their age and a history of wheezing episodes during the last year. Specific
IgE for I100 cockroach allergen (C.A) was defined in the sera of these
children by the immunoenzymatic method (EIA). Specific IgE for house dust
mite, cat and dog was also defined by the RAST method. Our group of
children was divided in 3 subgroups according to the degree of
sensitization to C.A.
Results: An impressively high percentage of
sensitization to C.A (83,6%) was found, including both degrees of
sensitization (moderate-high). There was also a correlation between the
degree of sensitization to C.A and the severity of asthma.
Conclusion: As a result it is apparent that
cockroach allergy is an important risk factor in childhood asthma in
Greece, thus the search for sensitization to C.A should be included in the
standard investigation of indoor allergens participating in asthma
exacerbations.