[Respiratory symptoms by oral challenge tests with egg white antigens in egg-allergic children]

One hundred and ninety one subjects showing histories of immediate hypersensitive response to egg white ingestion and/or positive IgE antibody titers specific for egg white were enrolled in double-blind placebo-controlled oral challenge with freeze and dried, heated or heated and ovomucoid-depleted egg white antigens. Seventy seven were male and 114 female, and their ages ranged from 11 month to 10 years 5 month; 118 of them had atopic dermatitis, seven had asthma and 33 had both atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma and 33 had urticaria. One hundred four children developed 147 positive symptoms including 131 immediate reactions and 16 non-immediate reactions by oral challenge tests. Respiratory symptoms were observed in 25 cases (17%) including cough alone in 12 cases (8.2%), and both wheezing and cough in 13 cases (8.8%). These were all observed as immediate reactions and accompanied with dermal symptoms. Frequency of respiratory symptoms correlated with specific IgE antibody titers for egg white. Heated and ovomucoid-depleted egg white was more hypoallergenic that heated or freeze and dried egg white with respect to respiratory symptoms as well as other symptoms. We concluded that respiratory symptoms were provoked through oral challenges with egg white in a part of egg-allergic children.