Food specific skin-test reactivity in atopic subjects.
It has been proposed that a permanent or transitory increase in gut permeability is an important facet in the development of food allergy. If this occurs, then individuals with a history of a specific food allergy should have a higher incidence of immunological reactivity to other food allergens as compared to food tolerant subjects. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the prevalence of food-specific IgE responses by skin-prick testing in 60 individuals. Subjects were classified by a history of food allergy (shrimp hypersensitivity) and atopic status. Prevalence of skin-prick test reactivity to shrimp and a panel of nine other food extracts was determined. Skin-test reactivity to shrimp was related both a history of shrimp sensitivity and atopic status. However, the prevalence of skin-test reactivity to other foods was not related to clinical history of shrimp allergy, although it was related to atopy. A subset of subjects with shrimp allergy had multiple positive skin reactions to many of the nine other foods. This reactivity was associated with a history of pulmonary symptoms following shrimp ingestion. In general our results do not support non-specific increases in gut permeability being important in the development of food allergy.
Department of Medicine, Tulane University Medical Center, New Orleans, LA 70112.
J E
JE
Morgan
C B
CB
Daul
J
J
Hughes
M
M
McCants
S B
SB
Lehrer
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D033364:Decapoda; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010539:Permeability; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods
D007073:Immunoglobulin E