Prevalence of mesquite (prosopis species) allergy and efficacy of conventional allergen specific Immunotherapy (ASIT) to mesquite in Egyptian patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR)

Background

Mesquite is a genus of leguminous spiny trees and shrubs abundant in the tropical and subtropical deserts. Mesquite pollen is a potent allergen capable of inducing allergy in susceptible individuals living remote from the plant source. This study was conducted on 200 PAR patients in the Suez Canal region of Egypt to determine the prevalence of mesquite allergy and to assess the efficacy of conventional ASIT in these patients.

Subjects, materials and methods

Two hundred adult PAR patients were evaluated by allergy prick skin testing (PST) against a panel of 15 different aeroallergens including mesquite. Patients exhibiting a positive PST response to mesquite only were subjected to mesquite conventional subcutaneous ASIT. All reagents were purchased from Omega Laboratories, CANADA. Informed consents, symptom and medication scores were obtained before and after ASIT.

Results

Eighty six patients exhibited a positive PST response to mesquite allergen. Out of these 38 patients were positive to mesquite allergen only. Significant improvement in symptom and medication scores were detected in 24/38 patients 4 months after the initiation of ASIT.

Conclusions

Mesquite pollen allergy is common among Egyptian PAR patients and ASIT with mesquite extract can reduce the burden of the disease in these patients.