INTRODUCTION
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive inherited disease that may damage the lungs caused by a mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.1Another prevalent chronic childhood lung disease is asthma.2 The fact that the clinical manifestations in patients with asthma and CF are similar, may be associated with difficulties in differential diagnosis and treatment.3-5 It was reported for both the diseases that genetic factors and environmental factors, including infections and allergens, affected the lung function of the patients.3,6 Relevant studies suggested that, in CF, allergens may invade the respiratory epithelium as a result of inflammation due to infections, allergic inflammation may cause the patients predisposed to colonization of pathogens, and CFTR mutations may turn individuals susceptible to atopy.3,7 The most commonly reported allergen susceptibility among CF patients was associated with mold, and especially Aspergillus fumigatus (AF). AF may induce an allergic reaction, including allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA).8 Due to difficulties in differential diagnosis regarding asthma and/or special conditions, including comorbid ABPA, the asthma-specific treatments such as corticosteroids and omalizumab can be used in patients with CF.3-5
Allergen susceptibility and the prevalence of allergic diseases are increasing across the world.9 Nevertheless, there are only a limited number of studies, which investigated the allergen susceptibility in patients with CF. Furthermore, the previous studies provide inconsistent reports with regard to the relationships between atopy and lung function.6,10 Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of aeroallergen susceptibility in patients followed-up with a CF diagnosis in our clinic and to investigate the relationship between atopy and CF upon examination of clinical and laboratory findings in susceptible patients.