Oral challenge with pasteurized egg white from Gallus domesticus.
BACKGROUND
Since raw egg may cause digestive toxic infections, we assessed whether pasteurized raw egg white is as reliable as fresh raw egg white in the diagnosis of egg allergy.


METHODS
Thirty-two egg-allergic children were challenged with both pasteurized and fresh raw egg white. Open challenges were carried out with increasing doses of pasteurized raw egg white and fresh raw egg white administered every 60 min.


RESULTS
Eleven children (34.4%) had positive challenges with pasteurized raw egg white. Twenty-one children (65.62%) who tolerated pasteurized raw egg white also had a negative challenge with fresh raw egg white. If the challenge with pasteurized raw egg white resulted positive, the study was stopped. The protein profile and IgE-binding capacity of both pasteurized and fresh egg white were almost identical as observed by SDS-PAGE and IgE immunoblotting. In the IgE immunoblotting-inhibition and ImmunoCAP-inhibition assays, both extracts behaved in a similar way.


CONCLUSIONS
We did not find any relevant allergenic differences between fresh and pasteurized egg white. This study supports the use of pasteurized egg white in the diagnosis of allergy to fresh raw egg proteins.
Department of Allergy, University Hospital La Paz, Madrid, Spain. h72jupaj@yahoo.es
Jesús
J
Jurado-Palomo
Ana María
AM
Fiandor-Román
Irina Diana
ID
Bobolea
Sofía
S
Sánchez-Pastor
Cristina Y
CY
Pascual
Santiago
S
Quirce
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D021181:Egg Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D015387:Egg Proteins, Dietary / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding
D000485:Allergens; D015387:Egg Proteins, Dietary; D007073:Immunoglobulin E