Food allergy and intolerance in 100 patients---local and systemic effects

Area of Science:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Gastroenterology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Adverse food reactions are common, presenting with diverse symptoms including respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal issues.
• Accurate diagnosis of food allergy versus food intolerance is crucial for effective patient management.
• Diagnostic testing methods for food allergies require careful evaluation of their utility across different food triggers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of allergy testing in patients with adverse food reactions.
• To differentiate between food allergy and food intolerance based on clinical presentation and test results.
• To assess the effectiveness of skin prick tests and radioallergosorbent tests for specific food allergens.

Main Methods:

• Studied 100 patients with adverse reactions to specific foods.
• Diagnosed food allergy based on immediate allergic reactions or suggestive symptoms supported by positive skin prick tests (SPT) or radioallergosorbent tests (RAST).
• Classified reactions as food intolerance when diagnostic evidence for allergy was absent.

Main Results:

• 93 patients experienced allergic symptoms (asthma, eczema, etc.) often combined with gastrointestinal issues; 7 had only gastrointestinal symptoms.
• SPT and RAST showed high diagnostic utility for egg, fish, and nut intolerances (approx. 75% positive).
• Milk intolerance had lower positive test rates (approx. 30%), indicating potential issues with testing methods or non-allergic mechanisms, though five patients with negative tests had milk-induced asthma.

Conclusions:

• Diagnostic test usefulness varies significantly among different food allergens.
• Current allergy testing may underestimate milk allergy prevalence due to lower test sensitivity or non-allergic mechanisms.
• Further refinement of diagnostic approaches is needed, particularly for milk intolerance.