Seasonal allergic rhinitis in the Komi Republic

Background. Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) presents a great problem of public health all over the world, being widespread among allergic diseases. SAR considerably impacts on social and economic aspects of life. The prevalence rate of SAR and it’s etiology need to be studied to develop the preventive measures and qualified medical attendance. There is limited knowledge concerning the prevalence rate of SAR in Russian Federation. This article presents the results of epidemiological study of pollen allergy, including SAR, in Komi Republic (KR) among adolescents and adults. We found out that SAR is the most widespread pollen allergy, and it’s prevalence rate is 12%. The most frequent etiological factors of SAR are tree pollen and cereals, but the polyvalent sensitization to all kinds of pollen is the most prevalent. The results of studying of epidermal and domestic allergens etiology role are also presented. Objective. To evaluate the prevalence rate and main etiological factors of SAR in KR. Methods. The epidemiological study was carried out in KR within the framework of international program GA2LEN. During questioning we included 2002 respondents, 1038 of them with mentioned allergy reactions in questionnaire underwent allergological examination, including skin scratch tests (men 49,3% and women 50,7%; rural dwellers 18,5% and city dwellers 81,5%). Results. Of the 1038 patients surveyed, 253 were diagnosed with SAR, with a total prevalence rate of 12,6%. There was no significant difference in sex between rural and city dwellers. In 50% of cases allergic conjunctivitis accompanies SAR. The most prevalent sensitization was to tree pollen and cereals. In 44% of SAR we estimated polyvalent sensitization to tree pollen, weeds and cereals. About 50% of patients with SAR were also diagnosed with perennial allergic rhinitis and 20% of them had sensitization to epidermal and domestic allergens. Conclusion. We evaluated the prevalence rate of SAR in KR, that is considerably higher than official data. The most prevalent etiological factors of SAR were also revealed.

seasonal allergic rhinitis prevalence, etiological spectrum of allergens