Association of Cat Sensitization With Comorbid Asthma in Patients With Allergic Rhinitis: A Real‐World Study

ABSTRACT Background The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma (AS) comorbidity (AR + AS) is increasing and is associated with severe allergic symptoms. The impact of cat dander sensitization on AR + AS remains unclear. Methods In this retrospective study, 1154 patients with AR alone and 213 patients with AR + AS were enrolled at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐Sen University from January 2021 to February 2024. Allergens in serum were measured using UniCAP system. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess risk factors of AR + AS. Results Although family history of AR and AS, VAS (> 3), polysensitization, cat ownership, cat sIgE level, and age < 18 were associated with AR + AS, cat dander sensitization remained the prominent factor (OR = 3.743, p < 0.001). The positive rate of cat dander was higher in AR + AS group than AR alone group (25.4% vs. 10.5%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of AR + AS was the highest in the HDM+Cat+ group (33.8%). Moreover, the prevalence of cat‐sensitized AR + AS increased from 14.3% to 37.3% with elevated HDM sIgE levels. Co‐sensitization of HDM and cat dander (OR = 3.244, p = 0.036) and the cat ownership among cat‐sensitized patients (OR = 5.531, p < 0.001) were associated with AR + AS. However, in children, cat sensitization without ownership was associated with AR + AS, whereas this was not observed in adults. Conclusions Cat sensitization is associated with AR + AS. Co‐sensitization to HDM and cat dander and cat ownership further increase the prevalence of AR + AS among the cat‐sensitized patients. Early detection of cat dander component sensitization may help identify at‐risk individuals and optimize management of AR + AS.