Table 1. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study subjects.
| Characteristics | Total study subjects (N=304) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age (year) | 27.8±11.2 | |
| Sex | Male | 160 (52.6) |
| Initial severity of AR | Mild | 27 (8.9) |
| Moderate | 165 (54.3) | |
| Severe | 112 (36.8) | |
| Targeting allergens | HDM | 201 (66.1) |
| HDM+pollen | 103 (33.9) | |
| Mode of immunotherapy | Rush | 89 (29.3) |
| Conventional | 215 (70.7) | |
| AIT duration (year)* | 3.8±1.6 | |
| Disease duration (mon) | 4.8±9.7 | |
| Total IgE level (kU/L) | 1,227.0±1,586.8 | |
| Specific IgE class to HDM† | Class 3 | 93 (30.6) |
| Class 4 | 76 (25.0) | |
| Class 5 | 55 (18.1) | |
| Class 6 | 80 (26.3) | |
AIT, allergen-specific immunotherapy; AR, allergic rhinitis; HDM, house dust mites; IgE, immunoglobulin E; Dp, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; Df, Der-matophagoides farinae.
*Time interval between diagnosis of AR and commencement of AIT. †Specific IgE levels to either Dp or Df were divided into 6 classes: 0.35≤ class 1 <0.7 kU/L; 0.7≤ class 2 <3.5 kU/L; 3.5≤ class 3 <17.5 kU/L; 17.5≤ class 4 <50 kU/L; 50≤ class 5 <100 kU/L; 100 kU/l≤ class 6.