Clinical features of legume allergy in children from a Mediterranean area.
BACKGROUND
Lentils, chickpeas, beans, and peas are the most common consumed legumes in the Mediterranean area. However, there is little information about allergy to these legumes.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical features of a Spanish pediatric population allergic to legumes (lentils, chickpeas, peas, white beans, and peanuts), to evaluate the clinical allergy to several legumes, and to determine which legume extract is most appropriate to use in the diagnosis of legume allergy by skin tests.


METHODS
Fifty-four children with allergic reactions after exposure to legumes were studied. The diagnosis of legume allergy was confirmed by positive skin prick test results with legume extracts and food challenges or a recent convincing history of severe reactions.


RESULTS
The onset of allergic reactions was at approximately the age of 2 years (median, 22 months). Skin prick test results were positive for at least 3 legumes in 38 children (70%). Positive results were more frequent to boiled extracts than to raw extracts in children with a positive oral challenge. Allergy to lentil was the most frequently diagnosed legume allergy (43 children [80%]), followed by allergy to chickpea (32 children [59%]). Oral challenges with more than 1 legume (median, 3 legumes) were positive in 37 children (69%). The most frequent induced symptoms on challenge were respiratory (rhinitis and/or asthma) and cutaneous.


CONCLUSIONS
In this population, lentils and chickpeas are the legumes that cause most allergic reactions, clinical allergy to more than 1 legume is common, and boiled legume extracts are most appropriate to discriminate between allergic and tolerant sensitized children.
Martínez San Ireneo
Mercedes
M
Servicio de Alergia, Hospital Nuestra Señora del Prado, Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain mmsan@sescam.jccm.es
Ibáñez
María Dolores
MD
Sánchez
José-Javier
JJ
Carnés
Jerónimo
J
Fernández-Caldas
Enrique
E
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D029863:Cicer / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D027806:Lens Plant / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012882:Skin Tests; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology