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. 2023 Jan 30;9(2):185.
doi: 10.3390/jof9020185.

Fungal Aeroallergen Sensitization Patterns among Airway-Allergic Patients in Zagazig, Egypt

Ghada A Mokhtar  1 , Manar G Gebriel  1 , Noha M Hammad  1 , Sylvia W Roman  2 , Osama Attia  3 , Ahmed Behiry  4 , Nagwan A Ismail  5 , Mohamed Salah Abd El Azeem El Sayed  6 , Ahmed Nagy Hadhoud  6 , Yosra A Osama  7 , Ahmed A Ali  8 , Heba M Kadry  1
Affiliations

Fungal Aeroallergen Sensitization Patterns among Airway-Allergic Patients in Zagazig, Egypt

Ghada A Mokhtar et al. J Fungi (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Airway allergies such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, as well as their comorbidities, are increasing worldwide, causing significant socioeconomic health burdens to societies. It is estimated that between 3% and 10% of the population is allergic to fungi. The type of fungal sensitization varies from one geographical region to another. The present study aimed to identify the common fungal aeroallergen sensitization patterns among airway-allergic patients residing in the Zagazig locality, Egypt, in order to obtain a better understanding of fungal allergy, in addition to improving the awareness and management strategies for those patients.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study included 200 allergic rhinitis and asthma patients. Sensitization to fungal aeroallergens was evaluated by skin prick testing and in vitro measurement of total and specific immunoglobulin E.

Results: As determined by a skin prick test, 58% of the patients studied were allergic to mixed molds. Alternaria alternata was the predominant fungal aeroallergen among the studied patients (72.2%), which was followed by Aspergillus fumigatus (53.45%), Penicillium notatum (52.6%), Candida albicans (34.5%), and Aspergillus niger (25%).

Conclusion: Mixed mold sensitization ranked fourth among the most frequent aeroallergens in airway-allergic patients, and Alternaria alternata was the most frequently encountered fungal aeroallergen in the Zagazig locality.

Keywords: Alternaria alternata; Egypt; Zagazig; allergic-airway diseases; fungal sensitization; mixed mold; skin prick test; specific serum IgE.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Aeroallergens sensitization patterns by skin prick test in the studied patients (N = 200).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Polysensitization patterns in the studied patients by skin prick test (SPT). Data were analyzed by Fisher exact test, and significant differences were defined as * p = 0.001 (N = 200).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Fungi sensitization patterns in the studied patients by immunoblot assay. Data were analyzed by Fisher’s exact test, and significant differences was defined as * p < 0.001 (N = 200).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Polysensitization patterns to fungal aeroallergens in the studied patients by immunoblot assay (N = 200). FAS, fungal aeroallergen sensitization.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Fungal aeroallergen monosensitization rate in the studied patients by immunoblot assay (n = 29).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Total IgE serum level (median and range) difference between mixed mold skin prick test (SPT)-positive and negative patients. Data were analyzed by Mann–Whitney U test (N = 200). ×, mean.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Correlation between age (X axis) and total IgE serum level (IU/mL) (Y axis) in the studied patients. Correlation was measured by Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (r) (N = 200).
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