BACKGROUND: Horses play a significant role in people's leisure time in Italy and other countries, but few data are available on IgE-mediated sensitization to horse allergens in patients without occupational exposure. We assessed, in a multicentric survey, the prevalence of horse sensitization in atopic subjects and its clinical characteristics. METHODS: Allergists from the whole Italian territory were required to collect the results of skin prick tests from at least 100 consecutive subjects. Those patients with a positive skin test to horse dander underwent a detailed interview concerning clinical history, pet ownership and possible exposure. RESULTS: Data from 3,235 outpatients were collected and 2,097 had at least 1 skin positivity. Among them, 113 (5.38%) were sensitized to horse dander (9 monosensitized). Thirty patients reported direct horse contact (4 owners and 26 for riding or occasional contact), 23 patients were sometimes in contact with horse owners and 60 subjects denied any direct or indirect exposure. Among 9 horse monosensitized patients, 6 had intermittent and mild rhinitis and 3 persistent moderate/severe rhinitis plus asthma. Three of them were horse owners or riders and the remaining had no contact with the animal. CONCLUSIONS: Our data evidence that the rate of sensitization to horse dander is not negligible and probably underestimated. In susceptible, not occupationally exposed individuals, horse contact, but also indirect or no apparent exposure, may induce sensitization. We recommend inclusion of horse allergen in the routine panel for the diagnosis of respiratory allergy.
BACKGROUND:Horses play a significant role in people's leisure time in Italy and other countries, but few data are available on IgE-mediated sensitization to horse allergens in patients without occupational exposure. We assessed, in a multicentric survey, the prevalence of horse sensitization in atopic subjects and its clinical characteristics. METHODS: Allergists from the whole Italian territory were required to collect the results of skin prick tests from at least 100 consecutive subjects. Those patients with a positive skin test to horse dander underwent a detailed interview concerning clinical history, pet ownership and possible exposure. RESULTS: Data from 3,235 outpatients were collected and 2,097 had at least 1 skin positivity. Among them, 113 (5.38%) were sensitized to horse dander (9 monosensitized). Thirty patients reported direct horse contact (4 owners and 26 for riding or occasional contact), 23 patients were sometimes in contact with horse owners and 60 subjects denied any direct or indirect exposure. Among 9 horse monosensitized patients, 6 had intermittent and mild rhinitis and 3 persistent moderate/severe rhinitis plus asthma. Three of them were horse owners or riders and the remaining had no contact with the animal. CONCLUSIONS: Our data evidence that the rate of sensitization to horse dander is not negligible and probably underestimated. In susceptible, not occupationally exposed individuals, horse contact, but also indirect or no apparent exposure, may induce sensitization. We recommend inclusion of horse allergen in the routine panel for the diagnosis of respiratory allergy.
Authors: G Liccardi; L Calzetta; G Baldi; A Berra; L Billeri; M Caminati; P Capano; E Carpentieri; A Ciccarelli; M A Crivellaro; M Cutajar; M D'Amato; I Folletti; F Gani; D Gargano; D Giannattasio; M Giovannini; C Lombardi; M Lo Schiavo; F Madonna; M Maniscalco; A Meriggi; C Micucci; M Milanese; C Montera; G Paolocci; R Parente; A Pedicini; R Pio; F Puggioni; M Russo; A Salzillo; P Scavalli; N Scichilone; B Sposato; A Stanziola; G Steinhilber; A Vatrella; P Rogliani; G Passalacqua Journal: Clin Mol Allergy Date: 2018-02-02
Authors: Eva Zahradnik; Bente Janssen-Weets; Ingrid Sander; Benjamin Kendzia; Wolfgang Mitlehner; Caroline May; Monika Raulf Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-12-12 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Gennaro Liccardi; Gennaro Baldi; Anna Ciccarelli; Marina Cutajar; Maria D'Amato; Domenico Gargano; Domenico Giannattasio; Gennaro Leone; Mario Lo Schiavo; Francesco Madonna; Giovanni Menna; Carmen Montera; Antonio Pio; Maria Russo; Antonello Salzillo; Anna Stanziola; Gennaro D'Amato Journal: Multidiscip Respir Med Date: 2013-04-16
Authors: Luis Caraballo; Rudolf Valenta; Leonardo Puerta; Anna Pomés; Josefina Zakzuk; Enrique Fernandez-Caldas; Nathalie Acevedo; Mario Sanchez-Borges; Ignacio Ansotegui; Luo Zhang; Marianne van Hage; Eva Fernández; Luisa Arruda; Susanne Vrtala; Mirela Curin; Hans Gronlund; Antonina Karsonova; Jonathan Kilimajer; Ksenja Riabova; Daria Trifonova; Alexander Karaulov Journal: World Allergy Organ J Date: 2020-04-29 Impact factor: 4.084