Table 3.
Patient characteristics of the study and control groups.
| Study group N = 1624 |
Control group N = 1519 |
p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age ± SD (range) in years of patients before AIT was started | 24.2 ± 11.7 (12–75) | 22.1 ± 9.3 (13–71) | >0.05 |
| Women (%) | 65 | 63 | >0.05 |
| Family history of atopy (%) | 1015 (63) | 925 (61) | >0.05 |
| Mean time of allergic disease duration (years) ±SD | 4.2 ± 2.9 | 3.8 ± 2.3 | >0.05 |
| Mean time of AIT (years) ± SD | 4.6 ± 1,7 | - | - |
| Mean time of symptomatic treatment (years) ±SD | 5.9 ± 2.1 | 6.3 ± 1.9 | >0.05 |
| Confirmed allergy to (%): | |||
| Grass | 794 (48.9) | 752 (49.5) | >0.05 |
| Trees | 366 (22.5) | 391 (25.7) | >.05 |
| Mugwort | 110 (6.8) | 86 (5.7) | >.05 |
| Mites | 715 (44) | 692 (45.5) | >.05 |
| Alternaria | 64 (3.9) | 39 (2.6) | >.05 |
| Cats | 109 (6.7) | 76 (5) | .03 |
| SANN (%) | 1151 (70.9) | 1043 (68.7) | >.05 |
| PANN (%) | 473 (29.1) | 476 (31.3) | >.05 |
| Allergic asthma (%) | 499 (30.7) | 589 (38.8) | .04 |
| Atopic dermatitis (%) | 278 (17.1) | 359 (23.6) | .04 |
| Smokers and/or former smokers | 579 (35.7) | 591 (38.9) | >.05 |
SD – standard deviation, AIT – allergen immunotherapy, SANN – intermittent allergic rhinitis, PANN – persistent allergic rhinitis.