Abstract:

Objective To investigate the changes of allergen-specific IgE in children with allergic diseases in Suzhou from 2018 to 2021. Additionally, the study will examine the characteristics of allergen sensitization in connection to age and gender, as well as changes in lifestyle and environment. Methods A retrospective analysis of the detection of common inhalant and food-specific IgE in suspected allergic children aged 0-18 years from 2018 to 2021 was conducted. Results A total of 43028 suspected allergic children were included, with a positive sIgE rate of 64.4% (27706/43028). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the positive rate was 60.6% in 2018 and 58.6% in 2019. It was 70.1% in 2020 and 67.2% in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significant difference in the positive rate among different years (P<0.001). The top 4 inhalant allergens with the highest sIgE positivity in suspected allergic children were dust mite mix, house dust, mold mix, and cat hair; the top 4 food allergens were egg, milk, beef, and soybean. The positive rates of all inhaled (except cockroaches) and food allergen-specific IgE detected from 2020 to 2021 were higher than those from 2018 to 2019, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Among male subjects, the sIgE positivity rates for tree mix, common ragweed, mugwort, dust mite mix, house dust, cat hair, dog epithelium, and cocklebur were higher than those in female subjects, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). The sIgE positivity rates for milk, peanut, beef, lamb, fish mix, shrimp, and crab were higher in male subjects than in female subjects, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). The sIgE positivity rates for inhalant (except for crab) and food allergens differed significantly among different age groups (P<0.05). Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, the positive rates of inhaled (except cockroach) and food allergen-specific IgE increased in children with suspected allergic diseases, and the positive rates were different in different genders and age groups. The trend of multi-sensitization increased.

Key words: allergic disease, specific IgE antibody, epidemiology, allergen