Allergic rhinitis was clinically diagnosed, based on international guidelines which recommend identifying symptoms, including sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, and itching with specific IgE possession confirmed by skin prick test or ImmunoCAP 250 (Phadia, Uppsala, Sweden) system14 (link). Atopy was defined as positive response to any one of the inhalant allergens (birch, oak, ragweed, mugwort, cat dander, house dust mite, etc.) by ImmunoCAP 250 (Phadia) system, as previously described15 (link).