title: Self-reported adverse reactions and IgE sensitization to common foods in adults with asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is very few data available on the prevalence of food hypersensitivity among adults with asthma. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of self-reported adverse reactions and IgE sensitization to the different foods and to determine the spectrum and the prevalence of food-related gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with and with no asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study based on interviews and questionnaire responses from 1527 subjects, aged 18-75 years of age, from Västra Götaland in Sweden, as part of the larger West Sweden Asthma Study. IgE analyses were performed in sera from all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty three percent of adults with asthma reported adverse reactions to foods compared to 30 % of non-asthmatics. Most asthmatics reported symptoms from eating hazelnut, followed by other nuts, birch-related foods, milk, peanut and shellfish. Furthermore, adults with asthma experienced significantly more often gastrointestinal symptoms from hazelnut, apple and milk and were found to significantly more often be sensitized to the most common foods compared to the non-asthmatic subjects. The asthmatics showed a significant correlation between IgE to both hazelnut and birch and self-reported symptoms after ingestion of hazelnut and to a lesser extent to almonds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of self-reported adverse reactions and sensitization to the most common foods was much higher among the asthmatic subjects. Hazelnut was the food that asthmatics most frequently experienced adverse reactions from, and the strong correlation between IgE to hazelnut and birch indicate that the observed adverse reactions are partly due to sensitization to allergens from the PR-10 family.
authors.affiliation: Section of Allergology, University Hospital of Sahlgrenska, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rentzos
authors.affiliation: Krefting Research Centre, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johanson
authors.affiliation: R&D, ImmunoDiagnostics, Thermofischer Scientific, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sjölander
authors.affiliation: Department for Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Telemo
authors.affiliation: Krefting Research Centre, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ekerljung
keywords: Asthma; Epidemiology; Food allergy