Food allergen sensitization patterns in a large allergic population in Mexico

Area of Science:

• Clinical Immunology
• Allergy and Immunology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Food allergy is a significant global health concern with limited prevalence data from developing nations.
• Most existing prevalence estimates rely on self-reporting, lacking objective assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of sensitization to food allergens using serum specific IgE in a large cohort of allergic patients in Mexico.
• To analyze age-specific patterns of food allergen sensitization.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patient data from a specialized laboratory in Mexico City (January 2016 - April 2018).
• Inclusion of 1795 patients with suspected food allergy across all age groups.
• Descriptive analysis and age/food-group comparisons of serum specific IgE results.

Main Results:

• Overall sensitization to at least one food allergen was observed in 24% of the 1795 subjects (sIgE≥0.35kUA/L).
• Commonly identified food allergens included hazelnut, apple, shrimp, peanut, egg, milk, and wheat.
• Age-specific sensitization patterns were noted: milk in young children, peanut and wheat in older children, and apple in adults.

Conclusions:

• The study identified a distinct regional IgE sensitization profile in Mexico compared to international data.
• Local staple foods appear to play a significant role in the observed sensitization patterns.