군대 훈련 중 흡입항원에 대한 감작률과 알레르기질환 유병률의 변화 = Changes in the Prevalence of Sensitization to Inhalant Allergens and Allergic Disease during Military Training군대 훈련 중 흡입항원에 대한 감작률과 알레르기질환 유병률의 변화

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the prevalence of sensitization to inhalant allergens and allergic disease among young army conscripts during a 35-day military training course. Methods: Fifty-four young soldiers who conscripted into the Korean army on April 29, 2011 were enrolled after their informed consent. Their sera were sampled on day 1 to measure total immunoglobulin E and allergen-specific immunoglobulin E to common inhalant allergens using UNICAP(R) and the Multiple Allergen Simultaneous Test(R), respectively. Their sera were sampled again on day 35 to evaluate temporal changes in total immunoglobulin E and allergen-specific immunoglobulin E. Subjects were also requested to respond to the modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire on day 35 to evaluate the prevalence of allergic diseases. Results: The number of subjects sensitized to birch/alder increased from 1 (1.9%) to 4 (7.4%) during military training; however, the difference was not statistically significant. The status of sensitization to other allergens and serum total immunoglobulin E levels did not change significantly. Of the 54 subjects, 9 (16.7%) experienced new onset or exacerbation of allergic disease. However, most of subjects were not diagnosed with allergic diseases by a physician, nor did they receive proper treatment for their symptoms. Conclusion: A 35-day course of military training was insufficient to change the inhalant allergen sensitization status; however, some young army conscripts suffered from new onset or exacerbation of allergic diseases during military training that were not diagnosed or treated appropriately.