title: [Changes in food allergen sensitization rates of Japanese allergic children during the last 15 years].
abstract: In order to evaluate the changes in food allergen sensitization rates of allergic children, serum samples from 85 patients about 15 years ago (past group) and those from 90 current patients (present group) were randomly selected, and the specific IgE for six food allergens (wheat, peanuts, sesame, mackerel, ovomucoid, and kiwi) were measured with the CAP-RAST system. Sensitivity rates (class 2 or higher) for wheat and peanuts were significantly higher in the present than in the past group. Although there was no statistical difference in sensitivity rates (class 2 or higher) for kiwi between the groups, sensitivity rates (class 1 or higher) of the present group were significantly higher than those of the past group, indicating that the number of cases mildly sensitized to kiwi has been increasing. This trend was especially marked among children aged 6 or younger, and there was no statistical difference in sensitivity rates among those aged 7 or older. For the management of food allergy, special attention should therefore be paid not only to an increase in the number of patients, but also to changes in the kinds of causative foods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University. kusu@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusunoki
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyanomae
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Takakazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Okafuji
authors.forename: Ryuta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nishikomori
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heike
authors.forename: Tatsutoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakahata
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008297:Male; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens