Bimodal skin reactivity to histamine in atopic children in Singapore: influence of specific sensitizations

• Published in: Pediatric allergy and immunology 2004-12, Vol.15 (6), p.545-550
• Main Authors: Kidon, Mona Iancovici, See, Yvonne, Bun, Cheung Yin, Goh, Anne, Chay, Oh Moh, Balakrishnan, Abhilash
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; aeroallergen; Age Factors; Air Conditioning - adverse effects; Air Conditioning - statistics & numerical data; Allergic diseases; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - ethnology; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; children; Dermatitis, Atopic - epidemiology; Dermatitis, Atopic - immunology; Female; Histamine - administration & dosage; Histamine - immunology; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - diagnosis; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - epidemiology; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - immunology; Immunopathology; Male; Medical sciences; moulds; Odds Ratio; Retrospective Studies; Rhinitis - epidemiology; Rhinitis - immunology; sensitization; Sex Factors; Singapore - epidemiology; Skin allergic diseases. Stinging insect allergies; Skin Tests - methods; Skin Tests - statistics & numerical data; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - statistics & numerical data; tropical
• ISSN: 0905-6157; 1399-3038
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2004.00190.x

Histamine skin prick test (SPT) is used as the ‘golden standard’ for positive control in in vivo immediate type hypersensitivity testing. The skin reactivity to histamine can, however, be modulated by a bevy of extraneous factors. We aimed to define whether histamine skin reactivity in atopic children in Singapore is influenced by age, ethnic origin, gender, environmental exposure or specific sensitization patterns. A retrospective analysis of children, with specific aeroallergen sensitization (as measured by at least one allergen‐specific SPT with a wheal size >3 mm compared with the negative control) from the outpatient speciality clinic of the KK Children's Hospital, during 06/2002–06/2003. A total of 315 patients were included, 235 (75%) were males, 252 (80%) were Chinese, age mean was 7.7 yr (range: 2–15). Patients were referred to the SPT with a diagnosis of one or more of: allergic rhinitis 287 (91%), asthma 112 (36%) or atopic dermatitis 60 (19%). The mean histamine response showed a bimodal distribution, independent of age, ethnic origin, gender or phenotypical expression of allergic disease. Histamine skin reactivity was higher in atopic patients with polysensitization (mean 5.0 mm vs. 2.9 mm in monosensitized patients, p