[Relationships between oral allergy syndrome and sensitization to pollen antigen, especially to mugwort].
BACKGROUND
In order to know the relationships between mugwort pollinosis and oral allergy syndrome (OAS), an etiological study was performed at Muroran City, where mugwort is the most frequent cause of pollinosis.


METHODS
Allergic rhinitis patients positive to serum IgE to birch, mugwort or grass pollen visited to the outpatient-clinic of Otorhinolaryngology of Muroran City General Hospital from 1998 to 2002, were studied by a questionnaire concerning a past-history of OAS.


RESULTS
The prevalence of OAS was significantly higher in patients positive to serum IgE antibody specific to birch pollen or mugwort pollen than those negative to each pollen-specific antibody (birch; 54.5 vs 23.5%, p<0.0001, mugwort; 41.0 vs 21.5%, p<0.01). The main causative foods were fruits of rose family in patients with only birch pollen-specific IgE antibody, and were those other than rose family, such as kiwi, melon, orange, celery and onion in those with only mugwort pollen-specific IgE antibody. The patients group with high Lumiward score to mugwort pollen tended to include severe OAS cases.


CONCLUSIONS
A close relationship was suggested between mugwort pollen sensitization and OAS.
Asakura
Kohji
K
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Muroran City General Hospital. murohosp012@kujiran.jp
Honma
Tomo
T
Yamazaki
Nochikazu
N
Ishikawa
Tadataka
T
D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D019306:Artemisia; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000276:immunology*; D014675:Vegetables
D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E