Review article
Increasing Incidence of Allergy in Croatia
Asja Stipić-Marković
; Department of Clinical Immunology, Pulmology and Rheumatology, General Hospital «Sveti Duh», Zagreb, Croatia
Branimir Čvoriščec
Branko Pevec
Mira Radulović-Pevec
Abstract
Allergology in Croatia is faced with technological and civilization challenges at the time of approaching full membership to European Union. Continuous, 55 year long tradition, of successful, scientific and clinic work, several generations of organ-based specialists in allergy, is the cornerstone for the constructive integration of Croatian allergology in the Europe. The incidence of allergy is increasing, according to the epidemiological data collected from 1978 till 2004 year. Current prevalence of children asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema symptoms, in the continental region is 6 %, 12.1% and 7.8%, respectivelly. Children prevalence in the costal region of Croatia is 8.4% , 17.50% and 3.4%, at the same order. The incidence of positive skin test to inhalant allergens in children of the continental region is 52,34%. High percentage of 51.74% subjects has skin sensitivity to three or more allergens, 29.35% to one and 18.90% to two allergens. House dust mite is the most dominant allergen, equally to most of the European countries. Second rates of sensitization were observed for grasses, followed by dog and cat epithelium, Ambrosia and tree pollens. In Croatian adults, results of prevalence of atopy markers (IgE, skin test to aeroallergens and symptoms), collected for the period of 15-years ( 1985-1999 ), showed increasing trend in elevated total IgE and atopic symptoms in male, but not in the female population. In Croatian population of adult, allergic patients, pyroglyphid mites could be considered work-related allergens for fishermen. Non-pyroglyphid mites are occupational risk factors in various rural environments of Croatia. The most common and relevant contact allergens in Croatia, are nickel sulfate, cobalt chloride and carba mix, according to the results in 3293 patients from Clinic for Dermatovenerology, Clinical Hospital Centre, Zagreb.
Keywords
Prevalence of allergic diseases; rhinitis; asthma; eczema; atopy markers; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
Hrčak ID:
22479
URI
Publication date:
21.4.2008.
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