A large-scale retrospective study on sIgE antibodies for food and inhalant allergens in children from Hebei Province from 2016 to 2019

ObjectiveTo retrospectively analyze the specific immunoglobulin E （sIgE） antibody test results of seven inhalant allergens and seven food allergens in children from Hebei Province， and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and management of allergic diseases.MethodsFrom January 2016 to December 2019， a total of 23 904 children aged 0-14 years in a tertiary hospital in Hebei Province underwent sIgE testing using the immunoblotting method. The test results were statistically analyzed according to allergen type and grade， age group， season， and gender.ResultsThe positivity rate of food allergens in children from Hebei Province was 71.11%， higher than 49.73% for inhalant allergens. Male children showed significantly higher positivity rates than females for most allergens （P<0.01）. For inhalant allergens， positivity rates generally increased with age； for example， ragweed/mugwort was 0.22%， 0.98%， 2.30%， and 3.94% in infancy， toddlerhood， preschool， and school age， respectively （χ²=240.51， P<0.01）. In contrast， for food allergens such as egg white， beef/lamb， and milk， the rates peaked early and then declined， with egg white positivity rates of 19.42%， 38.30%， 35.86%， and 21.25% across the four age groups （χ²=790.19， P<0.01）. Seasonal variation was evident： inhalant allergen positivity was generally higher in summer and autumn， while food allergens showed more fluctuation. For example， mixed dust mites showed 16.52%， 21.95%， 11.91%， and 14.61% positivity in spring， summer， autumn， and winter， respectively （χ²=226.37， P<0.01）， and milk allergen positivity was highest in spring （37.98%， 30.37%， 33.41%， 33.48%； χ²=87.82， P<0.01）.ConclusionFrom 2016 to 2019， the epidemiological characteristics of allergen sensitization in children from Hebei Province varied according to gender， age， and season. Targeted preventive strategies should be developed based on these characteristics to reduce the incidence of allergic diseases in children.