Analysis of sensitization characteristics and correlation of common food and inhalant allergen-specific IgE among children in Wuhan from 2023 to 2025

The global prevalence of childhood allergic diseases is steadily increasing. Regional epidemiological data on allergen specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) sensitization are essential for optimizing local clinical prevention and individualized patient management. This study aimed to characterize food and inhalant allergen-sensitization patterns among symptomatic children in Wuhan, Central China. After retaining only the first test episode for each child, 6,873 children (4,264 boys and 2,609 girls) who underwent quantitative allergen-sIgE testing from 2023 to 2025 were enrolled. Positive rates for 23 allergens were compared across sex, age group, calendar year and season using the chi-square test; because each child contributes a single record to every comparison, observations within each comparison are independent. Spearman correlation was used to evaluate correlations among sensitization grades. The overall sIgE-positive rate was 63.0%. Milk (924/2,232, 41.4%) and egg white (696/2,177, 32.0%) were the most common food allergens, whereas D. farinae (2,207/4,508, 49.0%) and D. pteronyssinus (2,099/4,507, 46.6%) were the most common inhalant allergens. Boys had higher positive rates than girls for nine inhalant allergens, including both mite species, mold mix and most pollens, whereas food allergen positivity did not differ by sex. Egg white and milk positivity peaked in the toddler period and then declined with age, whereas mite positivity increased with age and remained high in school-age children and adolescents. Positivity to sesame, peanut and soybean was higher in spring, that to mites peaked in summer, and that to most pollens was highest in spring. D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae sensitization grades were closely correlated. Because only whole-extract assays were used, these correlations indicate co-sensitization rather than confirmed cross-reactivity. Milk, egg white and house dust mites were the most common sensitizing allergens among children in Wuhan, and their distribution varied by age, sex, calendar year and season of sampling. As sIgE reflects cumulative sensitization to whole-extract allergens rather than clinical reactivity, these patterns should be interpreted alongside the clinical history, age and month of sampling; component-resolved diagnosis is needed before cross-reactivity can be inferred. Not applicable. This was a retrospective observational study without healthcare intervention, and trial registration is therefore not required.