The frequency of IgE-dependent sensitization to food and airborne allergens in the population of children and adolescents of north-eastern Poland in 1998–2012 and its relation to the age of the studied patients

Introduction:
The long-term observation of the incidence of IgE-dependent sensitization to environmental allergens (food and airborne allergens) of a specific population plays an important role in epidemiological studies.

Aim:
Retrospective, comparative assessment of IgE-dependent sensitization to food and airborne allergens in the group of patients from the north-eastern region of Poland, in selected years (1998, 2003, 2008, 2012). Long-term assessment of the incidence of IgE-dependent sensitization depending on the age of the patients (1998–2012).

Material and methods:
A group of 6577 children and adolescents aged up to 18 years with a suspicion of an allergic process, diagnosed in 1998–2012. Skin prick tests (SPT) with selected food allergens and airborne allergens were used to evaluate the sensitization process of patients.

Results:
A significant increase in the percentage of patients sensitized was found, comparing 1998 vs. 2012: to at least one allergen (35.3% vs. 40.4%); only to food allergens (5.1% vs. 13.1%), and to at least one food allergen (10.5% vs. 20.1%). There were no significant changes in the percentage of children and adolescents sensitized to airborne allergens (22.7% vs. 20.3%). The percentage of sensitization to at least one allergen was lowest in 2-year-old children (30.2%), and highest in 15-year-old children (46.8%). The percentage of patients sensitized to airborne allergens increased statistically significantly with their age: 6.3% in infants, 43.7% in adolescents.

Conclusions:
During the 14-year-period of the study the authors observed an upward trend in the frequency of sensitization to food allergens. The frequency of sensitization to airborne allergens was similar at the beginning and the completion of the study.