[Open food challenge with milk, egg white and wheat].
BACKGROUND
A method for open food challenge test to determine food allergy has not been established in an evidence-based manner.


METHODS
We conducted an analysis of 438 open food challenges of raw milk (n=133, mean age 2.7+/-1.9 years), boiled egg white (n=216, 2.8+/-2.1 years) or udon noodles (n=89, 2.7+/-1.7 years) for the patients aged 1 year or more. Doses were increased (trace amounts, 1 g, 2 g, 5 g, 10 g, 20-30 g) every 20 minutes.


RESULTS
In total, 151 (38.5%) of food challenges were positive. The positive rates of milk, egg and wheat challenges were 35.8%, 42.4% and 33.3%, respectively. Of these, 76.2%, 32.5%, 27.8% and 0.7% had, respectively, skin, respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptoms. Although the prevalence of positive challenge increased with level of specific IgE, it did not correlate with the threshold amount of positive food challenge or the severity of symptoms. Among the challenge positive patients, 10.6% required injection of antihistamines, corticosteroids or adrenalines for the treatment of the symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
This challenge protocol seemed to be appropriate and safe.
Ito
Komei
K
Department of Allergy, Aichi Children's Health and Medical Center. koumei_itoh@mx.achmc.pref.aichi.jp
Futamura
Masaki
M
Takaoka
Yuri
Y
Morishita
Masashi
M
Nakanishi
Kumiko
K
Sakamoto
Tatsuo
T
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004529:Egg White; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008892:Milk / Q000276:immunology*; D014908:Triticum / Q000276:immunology*
D007073:Immunoglobulin E