ABSTRACT
Purpose@#To evaluate allergen sensitization in Koreans and assess regional differences in it using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based modeling techniques. @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed multiple allergen simultaneous test (MAST) results collected from 2,017 clinics and hospitals nationwide between 2018 and 2020. The AdvanSure™ AlloScreen (LG Chem, Seoul, Korea) was used to test for 47 allergens. Then, we created maps to visualize the sensitization prediction rate by using the ordinary kriging method. @*Results@#The total number of participants were 196,419; 104,371 (53.1%) were sensitized to one or more allergens. The most frequent allergen causing sensitization was Dermatophagoides farinae (34.0%), followed by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (32.3%), house dust (26.2%), cat dander (13.6%), Acarus siro (12.5%), rye grass pollen (8.8%), and birch tree pollen (8.2%), respectively. Perennial allergens, such as mites and cat dander, were more common than seasonal allergens. Sensitization rates to grasses were generally higher than those to tree and weed allergens. The sensitization rates to Hymenoptera venoms were 4.8% in honey bee and 2.2% in yellow jacket. The sensitization prediction rate against Dermatophagoides farinae calculated by GIS-based mapping showed geographical differences even within the same administrative district. @*Conclusion@#Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were found to be the most prevalent sensitizing allergens throughout Korea. GIS-based spatial pattern analysis using MAST revealed different sensitization patterns between geographic areas and at the subdistrict level. These data could assist in prevention and management of allergic diseases and provide valuable evidence for environmental and public health policymakers.