Aeroallergens becoming more significant for allergic rhinitis

Background and methods. Allergic rhinitis is a very common disease with an increasing prevalence to 10-20% over the last 40 years. These studies propose different reasons for this increase. Results. An increasing exposure to outdoor allergens is shown in different geographical and climatic areas, like the rising frequency of reactions to cockroaches in Europe or to mites in tropical areas. New aero-allergens have appeared in the animal and vegetable realms, both in home and professional environments. Respiratory allergy to Ficus benjamina inaugurated a new type of allergy caused by airborne allergens from non-pollinating plants. This is specially important because of the cross-reactions to latex. Conclusion. The immunochemical structures of airborne allergens are now better known,and the homologous structures of different allergens largely explain certain cross-reactions. In the future, recombinant allergens will probably lead to better understanding of the role of allergens in inducing and maintaining the allergic reaction and should promote our approach to diagnosis and therapy.