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Sensitization pattern of inhalant allergens in children with asthma who are living different altitudes in Turkey

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Abstract

Variability in children’s allergic sensitization has been detected not only among different countries but also among cities within the same nation but yet different climatic areas. The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitization pattern of asthmatic children who lived in different altitude areas: the two largest Turkish cities, Istanbul (sea level) and Erzurum (high altitude). Five hundred and twelve asthmatic children (6–15 years old) from Istanbul (western Turkey, at sea level) and 609 from Erzurum (eastern Turkey, at an altitude of 1800 m) were included in the study. All participants underwent skin testing with common inhalant allergens, spirometry, total IgE level, and clinical examination. The positive sensitization ratio to aeroallergens in children with asthma living at sea level was statistically higher than that in children living in the high altitude group [p = 0.001, OR (odds ratio) 4.9 (confidence interval (CI) 3.67–6.459)]. However, pollen sensitization in asthmatic children living in high altitudes was significantly higher than that in children living at sea level [p = 0.00, OR 2.6 (CI 1.79–3.87)]. Children with asthma who live at high altitudes are characterized by higher pollen but lower mite sensitization rates than those living at sea level in Turkey. Different climatic conditions and altitudes may affect aeroallergen sensitization in children with asthma.

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Conflict of interest

All of the authors declare that they have all participated in the design, execution, drafting, interpretation of data, and analysis of the study and approve the final version of the paper. The authors have no financial or personal relationships with other people or organization that could pose a conflict of interest in connection with the present work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Allergy, Department of Pediatrics, Bezmialem Vakif University, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey

    Emin Ozkaya

  2. Division of Pediatric Allergy, Department of Pediatrics, Erzurum Regional Education and Research Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey

    Ayhan Sogut & Mustafa Eres

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mehmet Küçükkoç

  4. Department of Medical Education, Atatürk University School of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey

    Hamit Acemoglu

  5. Department of Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonology Unit, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Maniza, Turkey

    Hasan Yuksel

  6. Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industry of Engineering, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey

    Naci Murat

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  1. Emin Ozkaya
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  2. Ayhan Sogut
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  3. Mehmet Küçükkoç
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  4. Mustafa Eres
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  5. Hamit Acemoglu
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  6. Hasan Yuksel
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  7. Naci Murat
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Correspondence to Emin Ozkaya.

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Ozkaya, E., Sogut, A., Küçükkoç, M. et al. Sensitization pattern of inhalant allergens in children with asthma who are living different altitudes in Turkey. Int J Biometeorol 59, 1685–1690 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-015-0975-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-015-0975-0

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