Types of Allergens among Patients Undergoing Skin Allergy Testing in the South Region of Saudi Arabia

Background: Allergy skin testing can help identify the specific causative allergens to confirm the diagnosis and design treatment for Allergic rhinitis. Objective: The study aimed to assess the types of allergens among participants who underwent Skin Allergy Test in the Southern Region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This retrospective review of hospital records examined the results of the skin prick test from January 2018 to October 2020. Participants who underwent the same panel of allergens were included. Results: Forty-two participants were included. Only one participant (2.4%) showed no response toward any allergen, while the remainder (97.6%) exhibited a positive reaction toward at least one allergen. The highest rates of sensitization were to pollens (83.3%), followed by house dust mites (14.3%), and animal epithelia (28.6%). The most frequent pollens were Bermuda grass (64.3%), followed by Ryegrass (26.2%) and Russian thistle (21.4%). Positive reactions to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae were observed in 14.3% and 9.5% of participants, respectively. The rates of sensitization to Epithelia of the cats were higher than that to Epithelia of dogs (26.2% vs. 14.3%, respectively). No significant association was detected between the type of aeroallergen and the age or gender of the participants. Conclusions: The most prevalent aeroallergens in the Southern region of Saudi Arabia are pollens, followed by house dust mites and animal epithelia. Sensitization to more than one allergen was common. The use of preventive measures is warranted to reduce sensitization to allergens.