title: Atopic dermatitis and food allergy.
abstract: In order to determine the importance of food sensitization in the etiopathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, we performed a study on 74 patients who fulfilled a previously suggested diagnosis criteria. Of these patients, 17.5% presented allergic rhinitis and 62.2% had associated bronchial asthma. We found that in 64.9% of the patients there was a food sensitization, with milk (36.5%), egg (35.1%) and fish (21.6%) being the most frequently involved. We also observed that 34% of the patients were sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and 24.3% to pollen. These sensitizations were confirmed by means of skin tests, specific IgE and antigen-specific histamine release test. The patients underwent a 3-year follow-up in order to find out the clinical evolution once the causal food was avoided and/or a symptomatic treatment was prescribed. The group of patients with no food sensitization was significantly different from the group with food sensitization: in the first group only 20% of the patients presented a very good clinical evolution (asymptomatic), while in the second group, in 71.4% of the patients the symptoms completely stopped. Nevertheless, in the first year follow-up, we found no significant differences between the two groups. In conclusion, a diet avoiding the causal food combined with a suitable symptomatic treatment, led to an important remission of the skin manifestations in children diagnosed with atopic dermatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, University Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Resano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández Benítez
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oehling
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012882:Skin Tests; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E