title: Frequent IgE sensitization to latex, cow's milk, and egg in children with short bowel syndrome.
abstract: Children with short bowel syndrome (SBS) undergo frequent operations, so they are at risk for sensitizing to latex. There have been isolated reports of sensitization to food in these children. In a cross-sectional study, we assessed sensitization to latex, cow's milk, and egg with skin prick tests (SPT) and serum-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in 14 children with SBS. Data were collected about the number of operations with latex devices, serum total IgE, and history of feeding with milk formula. Ten children were sensitized to latex (specific IgE median: 6.7 kU/l, range: 0.5-33). Compared with those non-sensitized, sensitized children had significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of serum total IgE in z-units (mean rank 3.25 vs. 9.2, respectively), and more operations with latex devices (mean rank 3.75 vs. 9). Eight children were sensitized to cow's milk, one with only positive SPT, the other seven with serum-specific IgE (median: 3.5, range: 0.5-21.1 kU/l), and five to egg (specific IgE median: 0.68, range: 0.58-2.17 kU/l). Except for some isolated days with cow's milk formula, the children had been initially fed with a diet without intact cow's milk proteins. Sensitization to latex, cow's milk, and egg is very frequent in children with SBS. They should be treated in a latex-free environment since the very early stages of the disease, and should be routinely studied regarding food sensitization, as this might contribute as an added factor in the chronic diarrhea of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Children's Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain. amazon@comv.es
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazon
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Solera
authors.forename: Noemi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alentado
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pamies
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nieto
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dalmau
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D021181:Egg Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012778:Short Bowel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E