title: Usefulness of specific IgE antibodies to ω-5 gliadin in the diagnosis and follow-up of Japanese children with wheat allergy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gliadins have been implicated in IgE-mediated allergy to ingested wheat. ω-5 gliadin seems to be a clinically relevant allergen component in children with immediate wheat allergy (WA), but contradictory results have been published.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether specific IgE (sIgE) antibodies to recombinant ω-5 gliadin could be used as a marker for oral wheat challenge outcome in wheat-sensitized children and to study whether measurements of sIgE to ω-5 gliadin are useful in monitoring children with WA to assess whether the allergy is outgrown or persistent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight serum samples from children sensitized to wheat were collected consecutively. sIgE to ω-5 gliadin was related to a physician's diagnosis of WA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-seven of 88 children sensitized to wheat were diagnosed as having WA. The geometric mean concentrations of sIgE to ω-5 gliadin were 2.04 kU(A)/L (range, <0.35-100 kU(A)/L) in children with WA and 0.40 kU(A)/L (range, <0.35-1.8 kU(A)/L) in children without WA. At follow-up, after being on a wheat-free diet for approximately 2 years, the sIgE titers to ω-5 gliadin were below 0.35 kU(A)/L (mean, 0.34 kU(A)/L; range, 0.34-2.3 kU(A)/L) in 10 of 15 children with outgrown WA. Conversely, in 12 of 14 children with persistent WA, the sIgE titers to ω-5 gliadin were still elevated (mean, 5.89 kU(A)/L; range, 0.34-16.3 kU(A)/L).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  sIgE to ω-5 gliadin can be used as an accurate alternative to potentially dangerous wheat food challenges in monitoring WA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Fukuoka National Hospital, Japan. rum@mfukuoka2.hosp.go.jp
authors.forename: Rumiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Sankei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishima
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Magnus P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Borres
authors.forename: Eishin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005903:Gliadin / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D021182:Wheat Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; C475180:omega-5 gliadin, wheat; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D005903:Gliadin