Sensitisation to House Dust Mite Component <i>Der p</i> 23 Is Associated with Severe Symptoms and Asthma in Allergic Rhinitis Patients

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> House dust mite (HDM) is an important source of airborne allergens in China as it contains several allergenic components that can cause allergic rhinitis (AR) and other allergic diseases. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and disease severity in AR patients sensitised to different allergenic HDM components. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This was a retrospective study, which examined 129 patients who were first diagnosed with only HDM-induced AR at the Department of Allergy of Beijing Tongren Hospital from December 2019 to April 2021. Clinical characteristics and disease severity of the patients were assessed based on the sensitisation to specific <i>Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus</i> (<i>Der p</i>) and <i>Dermatophagoides farinae</i> (<i>Der f</i>) allergenic components, including <i>Der p</i> 1, <i>Der p 2</i>, <i>Der p</i> 23, <i>Der f</i> 1, and <i>Der f</i> 2, employing multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) with correspondence analysis chart of MCA. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Among HDM-induced AR cases, the positive rate of <i>Der p</i> 1 was the highest (87.6%), followed by <i>Der p</i> 2 (78.3%), <i>Der f</i> 2 (76.64%), <i>Der f</i> 1 (68.2%), and <i>Der p</i> 23 (37.2%). Multiple correspondence analyses showed that sensitisation to <i>Der p</i> 23 was associated with severe AR symptoms and asthma; sensitisation to <i>Der p</i> 2, <i>Der f</i> 1, and <i>Der f</i> 2 was associated with moderate AR; and no sensitisation to <i>Der p</i> 23 was associated with mild AR. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> <i>Der p</i> 23 sensitisation is prevalent in northern China and may be associated with severe symptoms and asthma in AR patients.