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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Allergy
Sec. Environmental & Occupational Determinants
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/falgy.2025.1572509
This article is part of the Research TopicAllergic Diseases in AfricaView all articles
Analysis of the multicomponent ALEX array data to examine patterns of sensitization in Cape Town, South Africa
Provisionally accepted- 1University of Cape Town Lung Institute (UCTLI), Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
- 2University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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This study analysed allergen sensitization patterns in Cape Town, a biodiversity-rich region with a Mediterranean climate, using ALEX® and ALEX²® multiplex component-resolved diagnostics tools. It aimed to address gaps in allergen sensitisation pattern data and complement aerobiological monitoring.A retrospective review of 708 adults and children attending two tertiary allergy clinics (2019-2024) found that house dust mites were the most common allergens, affecting 50-60% of participants, with Der p 23 particularly prevalent (53%). Grass pollen sensitization was also high (46%), with 85% sensitised to the C4 grass Bermuda. Tree pollen sensitisation occurred in 29% with 14% sensitised to a diverse range of trees but neither London plane nor Cypress currently recommended in limited testing panels. Common food allergens included fruits (30%), seafood (27%), and nuts (25%), often linked to pollen cross-reactivity.Our study confirms a known pattern of aeroallergen sensitisation for a coastal temperate region, with increasing pollen sensitisation, particular C4 grasses. Clinicians should be aware of the diversity of tree pollen sensitisation, cross-reactivity patterns between food and pollen sensitisations and rates of minor allergen sensitisations for Blomia and animal danders when considering allergenimmunotherapies.
Keywords: allergy, major allergens, sensitization, alex, cross-reactivity, Cape Town
Received: 07 Feb 2025; Accepted: 14 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 PEDRETTI, Sittmann, von Hagen and Peter. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Sarah Lydia PEDRETTI, University of Cape Town Lung Institute (UCTLI), Cape Town, 7700, Western Cape, South Africa
Jonathan Grant Peter, University of Cape Town Lung Institute (UCTLI), Cape Town, 7700, Western Cape, South Africa
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