Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Rather than Atopic Dermatitis Is a Protective Factor for Dengue Fever––A Nationwide Population

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Dengue fever (DF) may cause severe morbidity and mortality. Asthma has been proposed as a protective factor for DF. Asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis are atopic diseases with a common background. Herein, we aimed to determine whether allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis are also protective factors for DF, as this aspect remained unknown. Materials and Methods: A resampled nationwide population-based retrospective case-control study was conducted. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent protective factors of these atopic diseases for DF. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to compare dengue-free proportions between patients with or without atopic diseases. Result: This case-control cohort study included a total of 1119 patients with DF and 4476 age- and sex-matched patients without DF. At least one of these atopic diseases was observed in 1322 patients. Compared to patients with DF, the non-DF group had a high prevalence rate of atopic diseases (16.2% vs 25.5%, P <0.001). Both asthma and allergic rhinitis were protective factors for DF with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.40 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25–0.65, P<0.001) and 0.48 (95%CI, 0.38–0.61; P<0.001), respectively. Atopic dermatitis was not a protective factor for DF (OR, 0.96; 95%CI, 0.58–1.58; P=0.873). Conclusion: Asthma and allergic rhinitis, rather than atopic dermatitis, can be independent protective factors against DF. Our finding provides insights into the association between allergy and DF.