Food allergens and respiratory symptoms

Food allergy may be clinically expressed by a variety of respiratory symptoms, which can be provoked either by IgE- or cellular mediated reactions. Among the diagnostic procedures, newly introduced atopy patch test seems to be important for diagnosis of cellular, delayed immune reactions. We studied the prevalence of positive atopy patch tests with food and inhalant allergens and the correlation between the positivity of atopy patch tests and questionnaire derived atopic and nonatopic espiratory symptoms and diseases in an unselected children population. We found a correlation between the positive patch test result with wheat and cough after physical effort, allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, and bronchitis recidivans. The subjects with positive skin reaction to egg suffered from allergic rhino-conjunctivitis and bronchial asthma. Food and inhalant allergens play an important role in the induction and exacerbation of some respiratory allergic diseases. The positive correlation of positive results of skin tests and history of some respiratory diseases and symptoms also on the population level confirm the importance of these tests in the diagnostic work-up of these allergic diseases.