Background: Respiratory allergies are the most important public health issues in the world. They are caused by
aeroallergens which play great role in pathogenesis of respiratory allergic diseases.
Methods: The current study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of positive skin test for various aeroallergens
among allergic patients in Ahvaz, southwest Iran. 299 participants with allergic rhinitis (seasonal or perennial) were
selected. Skin prick test using twenty three common allergen extracts was performed on all patients.
Results: The overall frequency of sensitization to any allergen was 85.6%. In outdoor allergens the most prevalent
aeroallergen category was weeds (89%) followed by tree and grasses, and in indoor allergens, mites (43%) were the
most prevalent aeroallergen. The mean and median numbers of positive test reactions among those with positive test
responses were 11.5 and 13.0, respectively. 84% of patients were poly-sensitised and about 50% of them were
sensitised to more than twelve different allergens.
Conclusion: The results of the study revealed that prevalence of the skin prick reactivity to weed pollens is significant
in southwest Iran and multiple sensitizations were common.