Fungal sensitisation of asthma children in different climatic and geographic regions of Azerbaijan

The aim of the study was to analyse sensitisation to fungal allergens in asthmatic children living in different climatic and geographic regions of Azerbaijan. This work was a part of the "ISAAC" international programme (International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood). We examined 233 school children aged 13 to 14 (119 boys and 114 girls) from 4 regions of the country. Fungal sensitisation was evaluated using prick-tests with fungal allergens. At the semi-desert climate, children living at cities were sensitised more often to Cladosporium herbarum (36.5 %) and Alternaria tenuis (33.8 %) and rarer to Phoma betae (13.5 %) and Penicillium notatum (18.9 %); rural children were sensitised more often to Epicoccum purpurascen (35.8 %) and rarer to Aspergillus fumigatus (15.1 %) and Candida albicans (17 %). The prevalence of sensitisation to Phoma betae in rural children was twice higher than in urban children. Fungal sensitisation in children living in the subtropical climate zone was more frequent compared to other regions; those children were sensitised more often to Epicoccum purpurascen (43.4 %), Alternaria tenuis (41.5 %), and Phoma betae (39.6 %) and rarer to Candida albicans (28.3 %). Children from mountainous regions were sensitised to the fungi relatively rare. Urban children from the semi-desert and subtropical regions had the most prominent sensitisation to Аlternaria tenuis, rural children from the semi-desert region were more sensitised to Epicoccum purpurascen and Phoma betae allergens. While worsening the asthma course, rate and severity of fungal sensitisation increase independently on the habitation region.