Table 1. Characteristics of Study Population by Assigned Group.
| Variables | Mockup purifier (n=22) | Active purifier (n=22) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 35.68±10.55 | 33.27±8.91 | 0.418 |
| Sex (male:female) | 6:16 | 9:13 | 0.340 |
| Diagnosis | |||
| Allergic rhinitis | 22 (100) | 22 (100) | - |
| Asthma | 11 (50) | 12 (54.6) | 0.763 |
| Allergic conjunctivitis | 7 (31.8) | 7 (31.8) | >0.999 |
| Atopic dermatitis | 5 (22.7) | 3 (13.7) | 0.698 |
| Rhinoconjunctivitis symptom score | 10 (9–12) | 9 (8–11) | 0.205 |
| Allergy testing | |||
| Total IgE (kU/L) | 162.75 (63.3–457) | 308 (157–524) | 0.242 |
| Blood eosinophils (cells/µL) | 205 (100–460) | 245 (170–400) | 0.981 |
| Wheal size to Dp (mm) | 8.91±4.73 | 8.77±4.39 | 0.922 |
| Specific IgE for Dp (kUA/L) | 7.93 (1.58–10.20) | 10.5 (3.83–24.50) | 0.153 |
| Indoor furry animals | |||
| Scoring of allergic rhinitis | |||
| Symptom score | 6.8±2.1 | 6.8±2.5 | >0.999 |
| Medication score | 1 (0.1–2.0) | 0.8 (0.0–1.0) | 0.223 |
| Visual analog scale | 5.5 (4.2–6.9) | 5.6 (4.5–6.8) | 0.672 |
| Quality of life | 70.8±13.5 | 69±17.7 | 0.711 |
IgE, immunoglobulin E; Dp, dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.
Continuous data are expressed as mean±standard deviation or median (interquartile range, 25 and 75 percentiles of data); categorical data are expressed as number (%). T-test was used for age and specific IgE for Dp; other continuous variables were compared via Mann-Whitney U-test. Chi-squared test was used for categorical data, except atopic dermatitis (Fisher's exact test).