Epidemiology of atopy patch tests with food and inhalant allergens in an unselected population of children

Atopy patch test (APT) has been used as a diagnostic tool in patients with suspected food or inhalant allergy. This study assessed the prevalence of positive APT with food or inhalant allergens in an unselected population of schoolchildren. We also evaluated the link between positive APT reactions a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatric allergy and immunology 2008-11, Vol.19 (7), p.599-604
Main Authors: Ronchetti, Roberto, Jesenak, Milos, Trubacova, Dagmar, Pohanka, Vladimir, Villa, Maria Pia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Allergens - immunology
atopy patch test
Biological and medical sciences
Child
children
epidemiology
Female
food allergens
Food Hypersensitivity - diagnosis
Food Hypersensitivity - epidemiology
Food Hypersensitivity - immunology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Fundamental immunology
Humans
Immunoglobulin E - blood
inhalant allergens
Inhalation
Italy - epidemiology
Lycopersicon esculentum
Male
Medical sciences
Patch Tests
Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis
Skin Tests
Triticum aestivum
unselected population
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Summary:Atopy patch test (APT) has been used as a diagnostic tool in patients with suspected food or inhalant allergy. This study assessed the prevalence of positive APT with food or inhalant allergens in an unselected population of schoolchildren. We also evaluated the link between positive APT reactions and skin‐prick tests (SPT) for food and inhalant allergens, circulating eosinophils and histamine skin reactivity. We studied an unselected population of 380 children aged 9 or 13 yr living in Rome, Italy. APTs were carried out with food (native or standardized) and inhalant allergens. All the children also underwent skin‐prick testing with five common inhalant and four food allergens. We also measured eosinophil cell counts and histamine skin reactivity. The prevalence of positive APT reactions for foods in unselected children ranged between 4% and 11% for hen’s egg, tomato, and wheat flour and was similar for both age groups studied. The prevalence of positive APT for milk was significantly lower in children aged 13 than in children aged 9 (p = 0.013). No concordance emerged between positive APT and SPT for foods. Conversely, APT and SPT for inhalant allergens yielded statistically significant concordance (p 
ISSN:0905-6157
1399-3038
DOI:10.1111/j.1399-3038.2007.00712.x