Abstract
Objective: To determine the major causes of allergic reactions and the level of sensitivity to local allergens among residents of Saudi Arabia
Design: Retrospective data analysis
Setting: National Center for Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Subjects:A total of 110 patients who had allergies underwent skin testing. Twelve allergens were used for this study including the most commonly reported allergen Prosopis juliflora (mesquite) pollen.
Intervention: Skin prick tests
Main Outcome Measures: Date tree pollens and prosopis
Results: Among the causes of allergies found in the 110 patients who were tested, 75.5% were found to be positive to prosopis, 59% to date tree pollens and 54.5% reacted to both. Positive reactions to CAT epithelium (46.4%), Bermuda grass (66.4%), Russian Thistle (71%) and Atriplex should also be considered as major factors causing senstitization in the region as this can also cause cross-reactivity among tree pollens and not necessarily to prosopis pollen.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that prosopis pollen is a sensitizing factor to allergic patients in Saudi Arabia. The significance of the human allergens of mesquite and their possible cross-reactivities with other tree pollens, merit further research (a) to draw conclusions of prosopis-hypersensitivity in many multiple sensitive patients and (b) to consider Prosopis as one of the major allergens in Saudi Arabia.