title: Natural history of perceived food hypersensitivity and IgE sensitisation to food allergens in a cohort of adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No longitudinal studies exist on the natural history of food hypersensitivity and IgE sensitisation to food allergens in adults.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the natural history of food hypersensitivity, the natural history of IgE sensitisation to food allergens and to investigate the risk factors for new onset food hypersensitivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Food hypersensitivity was questionnaire-assessed in 2307 individuals (aged 20-45 years) from Iceland and Sweden during the European Community Respiratory Health Survey both at baseline and follow-up 9 years later. IgE food and aeroallergen sensitisation were assessed in a subgroup of these individuals (n = 807). Values of 0.35 kU/L and above were regarded as positive sensitisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Food hypersensitivity was reported by 21% of the subjects and this proportion remained unchanged at follow-up (p = 0.58). Fruits, nuts and vegetables were the three most common causes of food hypersensitivity, with a similar prevalence at baseline and follow-up. The prevalence IgE sensitisation to food allergens decreased in general by 56% (p<0.001) and IgE sensitisation to peanut decreased in particular by 67% (p = 0.003). The prevalence of timothy grass IgE sensitisation decreased by 15% (p = 0.003) while cat, mite and birch IgE sensitisation did not decrease significantly. Female sex, rhinitis, eczema and presence of IgE sensitisation to aeroallergens were independently associated with new onset food hypersensitivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of food hypersensitivity remained unchanged while the prevalence of IgE sensitisation to food allergens decreased in adults over a 9-year follow-up period. The decrease in prevalence of IgE sensitisation to food allergens was considerably larger than the change in prevalence of IgE sensitisation to aeroallergens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences: Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patelis
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences: Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gunnbjörnsdottir
authors.affiliation: Immunodiagnostics, Thermo Fischer Scientific, Uppsala, Sweden ; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Magnus P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Borres
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Epidemiology and Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burney
authors.affiliation: University of Iceland, Medical Faculty and Department of Respiratory Medicine and Sleep, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Thorarinn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gislason
authors.affiliation: Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torén
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bertil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alving
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences: Clinical Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malinovschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences: Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Janson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E