Indoor Allergens Sensitize 58 Percent of Children With Asthma, Indian Study Finds

Although childhood asthma poses a growing public health burden and prior research across India highlights variable sensitization profiles, clinical and functional data specific to pediatric asthmatics in humid Eastern India remain limited. To address this clinical gap, Dr. Soma Sengupta from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, alongside Dr. Rashmi R. Das, Dr. Krishna M. Gulla, and Dr. Shakti K. Bal from AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, evaluated aeroallergen sensitization prevalence and patterns while comparing clinical and spirometric parameters between atopic and non-atopic asthmatic children.

Therefore, the two-year prospective study evaluated 152 asthmatic children (aged 6–14 years) using skin prick testing and spirometry to map aeroallergen sensitization patterns. Excluding those with severe asthma or confounding medical conditions, researchers assessed sensitization prevalence alongside differences in allergic comorbidities and lung function.

Key Clinical Findings of the Study:

• Indoor Allergen Predominance: Researchers demonstrated that 57.9% (n=88/152) of children were atopic, with cockroach (59%, n=52) and house dust mites—Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (56.8%, n=50) and Dermatophagoides farinae (52.3%, n=46)—representing the most common triggers compared to pollen (18.2%) and mold (10.2%).
• Age-Correlated Polysensitization: Investigators observed multiple sensitizations in 46.6% (n=41/88) of atopic children, establishing a significant positive correlation between age and total sensitizations (r = 0.24, p = 0.023) alongside higher atopy rates in children over 10 years versus younger peers (55.7% vs 44.3%, p = 0.04).
• Comorbidity and Hereditary Links: Authors identified significantly higher family history of atopy (50% vs 28.1%, p < 0.01), atopic dermatitis (26.1% vs 4.7%, p < 0.01), and food allergies (19.3% vs 3.1%, p = 0.002) in atopic asthmatics than non-atopic controls.
• Spirometric Equivalence: Researchers recorded no significant difference in baseline lung function between groups regarding forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁: 80.2% vs 80.5%, p = 0.08) or forced vital capacity (FVC: 89.7% vs 89.1%, p = 0.44).

The results suggest that aeroallergen sensitization affects 57.9% of pediatric asthma cases in Eastern India, predominantly driven by indoor environmental triggers such as cockroach (59%) and dust mites (52.3%–56.8%). Furthermore, cumulative environmental exposure fosters progressive sensitization with advancing age (r = 0.24, p = 0.023), accompanied by an elevated allergic comorbidity burden.

Recognizing regional indoor aeroallergen profiles may help clinicians implement targeted environmental control measures, enhance family counseling, and select suitable pediatric candidates for allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Although single-center design, reliance solely on skin prick testing, and unquantified environmental sampling limit generalizability, future multicenter longitudinal trials integrating serum-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) measurements will further clarify long-term asthma outcomes.

Reference

Sengupta S, Gulla KM, Bal SK, Das RR. Prevalence and Pattern of Aeroallergen Sensitization in Asthmatic Children with Atopy: A Hospital-based Study. Indian J Chest Dis Allied Sci 2026;68(3):120–124.