Food Allergies in Our Latex Allergic Patients

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Objective: Food allergies are common in adults as well as in childhood. We aimed to screen food allergies in our latex allergic patients. Material and Methods: The study was conducted between September 2012 and July 2013 at the Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In 32 patients; the diagnosis was confirmed by latex-specific IgE analysis and/or nasal provocation test and/or latex skin prick test. The patients were tested for allergy to latex cross-reactive foods, and prick test was performed with aeroallergens and food-specific IgE analyse was conducted. All of patient's sera were tested for CCD; rk202 (Pineaple bromelain specific IgE), latex and birch profilin (Hev b 8; latex profilin; rk221, rt216; birch profilin specific IgE), and LTP-specific IgE (rf420; Pru p3 specific IgE). This study was approved by Ege University Faculty of Medicine and written consents were received from all patients. Results: In 38% of the patients (12/32), foods prick tests were negative and in 62% of the patients (20/32), these were positive. In patients, food-specific IgE was detected in 31% (10/32). Food allergy rate was found to be 44% based on the history and it was rate rose to 62% based on prick tests. 3 of 18 isolated latex allergic patients had food-specific IgE positivity. In 10 of 18 patients, positivity was determined in prick tests with foods. In only 3 individuals, specific IgE with rk202, rf420, rt216 and rk221 were positive. In 14 patients (44%), aeroallergens sensitivities were detected. Foods specific IgE positivity was found in 5 out of 14 patients. The food prick test was positive in 10 out of 14 patients. Conclusion: The rate of food allergies in latex allergies was 62% in food prick tests and 31% in food-specific IgE tests. Food-specific IgE positivity was more prevalent in isolated latex allergics, but there was no difference in food prick tests between combined pollen and latex allergic and isolated latex allergies. As a result, there is a need for further studies in which double-blind nutritional provocation tests with a larger sample size are supplemented.