Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Patients with Food Allergy: Single-Center Experience

Özet

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the clinical and laboratory features of the patients diagnosed with food allergy whoapplied to the pediatric allergy outpatient clinic.Methods: This study was performed between March 2016 and December 2017 as a cross-sectional observational study. The filesof 90 patients with food allergy were evaluated retrospectively.Results: Ninety patients were included in the study. Sixty three (70%) of the cases were male and 27 (30%) were female. The medianage of the patients was 12 months (range 3-156), and the age at onset of symptoms was 4 months (1-156). At the time of thediagnosis, the total number of eosinophils was 410/mm3 (0-4600), and the total IgE value was 83.1 IU/ml (3.17-2500). When thecases were divided into two groups according to their gender, no significant difference was found between the groups regardingthe median age, onset age of the symptoms, total IgE, eosinophil and specific IgE levels. Fifty (55.6%) cases had atopic dermatitis,31 (34.4%) had urticaria, 6 (6.7%) had proctocolitis, 2 (2.2%) had angioedema and 1 (1.1%) had anaphylaxis. Thirty-four (37.8%) ofthe cases had IgE-mediated, six (6.7%) cases had non-IgE mediated, and 50 (55.5%) cases had mixed type food allergy. The mostcommon food allergens were egg 29 (32.2%), cow’s milk and egg 27 (30%) and cow’s milk 22 (24.4%). In the skin prick test, sensitivitywas found in 52 (57.7%) patients. The most common sensitization was against egg (22.2%). Specific IgE values were found asF1: 0.87 kU/L (0.10-100), F2: 0.30 kU/L (0.10-96.90) and F5: 0.48 kU/L (0.10-53).Conclusion: Egg and cow’s milk allergy were the most common food allergens in our study. However; more than half of the patientswere diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. Evaluation of the patients with atopic dermatitis in terms of food allergy may beappropriate.