Allergen skin-test reactivity in a community population sample: correlation with age, histamine skin reactions and total serum immunoglobulin E.

Allergen skin reactivity to 14 common local antigens was studied in a community population sample. Differences in the prevalence of positive reactions were related to both the specific antigen itself and the age of the subjects. For most allergens, peak prevalence occurred in the 20- to 34-yr age group, falling thereafter with increasing age. The frequency distribution of reactions revealed a bimodal curve, peaks occurring among nonreactors and those with eight positive reactions out of the 14 tests that were applied. The major contributor to this age--skin test relationship was the level of total serum IgE that was highest in young people and decreased progressively with age. Histamine skin reactions, which were smallest in younger subjects compared with all three older age groups, also contributed to the age-related prevalence of allergen skin-test reactions.