title: The natural history of wheat allergy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wheat allergy is 1 of the most common food allergies in children, yet few data are available regarding its natural history.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To define the natural course of wheat allergy and identify factors that help predict outcome in a large referral population of children with wheat allergy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were included in the study if they had a history of a symptomatic reaction to wheat and a positive wheat IgE test result. Clinical history, laboratory results, and final outcome were recorded for 103 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Resolution of wheat allergy was determined based on food challenge results. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to depict resolution of wheat allergy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rates of resolution were 29% by 4 years, 56% by 8 years, and 65% by 12 years. Higher wheat IgE levels were associated with poorer outcomes. The peak wheat IgE level recorded was a useful predictor of persistent allergy (P < .001), although many children outgrew wheat allergy with even the highest levels of wheat IgE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The median age of resolution of wheat allergy is approximately 6 1/2 years in this population. In a significant minority of patients, wheat allergy persists into adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21227, USA.
authors.forename: Corinne A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Keet
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Gitika
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dhillon
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lenehan
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paterakis
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021182:Wheat Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E