The role of skin prick test in diagnosis of food allergy in patients with birch pollinosis

Authors

  • Katarzyna Napiórkowska Department and Clinic of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń
  • Krzysztof Pałgan Department and Clinic of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń
  • Ewa Gawrońska-Ukleja Department and Clinic of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń
  • Magdalena Żbikowska-Gotz Department and Clinic of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń
  • Joanna Kołodziejczyk Department and Clinic of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń
  • Milena Wojciechowska Department and Clinic of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń
  • Małgorzata Graczyk Department and Clinic of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń
  • Robert Zacniewski Department and Clinic of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń
  • Zbigniew Bartuzi Department and Clinic of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12775/4076

Keywords

food allergy, birch allergy, skin prick tests

Abstract

Introduction. The incidence of food allergy is constantly growing. Particularly high percentage of patients is allergic to pollens - even 70 % of patients with a pollen allergy suffer from undesirable symptoms that appear after eating plant foods. It is connected mainly with crossreactivity between allergens. The fact that manifestations of food allergy concern different systems and organs is a problem and it causes diagnosing food allergy difficult and often underestimated.

The aim of this study was to determine the role of skin prick tests in the diagnosis of food allergy in patients with birch pollinosis.

Matherial and methods. 35 patients with birch pollinosis suffering after eating apple, celery, carrot, tomato, banana, peach, peanut and hazelnut were included to the study. The skin prick tests with applying extracts of allergens mentioned above were determined for all individuals.

Results. The analysis of the results of positive skin prick tests in patients reporting manifestations was as follows: celery 100 %, hazelnut 65.4 %, peanut 40 %, carrot 30.8 %, peach 20 %, tomato 14.3 %, apple 3.7 % and banana 0 %. In the skin prick tests, negative results were also achieved, although patients reported appearance of symptoms of sensitivity to given allergens: apple (74.3 % of persons), peach (34.3 % of persons), the hazelnut and the carrot (25.5 % for each of allergens), the tomato and the peanut (17.1 % for each of allergens) and banana (11.4 %). It is interesting that some of the patients had positive test results for the celery (22.8 %), although they did not report symptoms of oversensitivity to this kind of food.

Conclusions. Although skin prick tests are a universally used diagnostic method but in case of food allergy, the negative result cannot be a criterion which results in excluding this diagnosis .

References

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Medical and Biological Sciences

Published

2012-06-30

How to Cite

1.
NAPIÓRKOWSKA, Katarzyna, PAŁGAN, Krzysztof, GAWROŃSKA-UKLEJA, Ewa, ŻBIKOWSKA-GOTZ, Magdalena, KOŁODZIEJCZYK, Joanna, WOJCIECHOWSKA, Milena, GRACZYK, Małgorzata, ZACNIEWSKI, Robert and BARTUZI, Zbigniew. The role of skin prick test in diagnosis of food allergy in patients with birch pollinosis. Medical and Biological Sciences. Online. 30 June 2012. Vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 101-104. [Accessed 7 November 2024]. DOI 10.12775/4076.

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 2 (2012)

Section

Selected articles presented during the 2nd International Conference „Europejski Wymiar Nauk o Zdrowiu”

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