THE PREVALENCE AND DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF SPECIFIC IgE ANTIBODIES TO INHALANT, ANIMAL AND PLANT FOOD, AND FICUS ALLERGENS IN PATIENTS WITH NATURAL RUBBER LATEX ALLERGY

• Published in: Acta clinica belgica (English ed. Online) 2003-05, Vol.58 (3), p.183-189
• Main Authors: Ebo, D.G., Bridts, CH, Hagendorens, M.M., De Clerck, L.S., Stevens, W.J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Allergens - immunology; Animals; Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic - immunology; Belgium - epidemiology; Cattle; Cohort Studies; Comorbidity; Cross Reactions; Female; Ficus - adverse effects; Follow-Up Studies; Food Hypersensitivity - epidemiology; Food Hypersensitivity - immunology; Fruit; Humans; Immuno-CAP; Immunoglobulin E; Latex; Latex Hypersensitivity - epidemiology; Latex Hypersensitivity - immunology; Male; Middle Aged; Milk Hypersensitivity - diagnosis; Milk Hypersensitivity - epidemiology; Prevalence; Risk Assessment; Sampling Studies; sensitivity; specificity
• ISSN: 1784-3286; 2295-3337
• DOI: 10.1179/acb.2003.58.3.006

Background: It is well recognised that natural rubber latex allergy can be associated with serological crossreactivity to plant allergens, especially tropical fruits and Ficus. In contrast, data on the frequency and clinical value of specific IgE antibodies against these allergens remain rare. In addition, little is known about the prevalence and diagnostic value of specific IgE antibodies to classical inhalant and animal allergens in NRL allergic patients. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, the sensitivity, and the specificity of these different specific IgE antibodies in patients suffering from NRL allergy. Methods: Serum samples of 42 NRL allergic adults were investigated. All had a history of NRL allergy confirmed by a positive skin test for latex and a positive latex-specific IgE. Samples were analysed for IgE antibodies against 9 plant food allergens (avocado, banana, chestnut, fig, kiwi, papaya, peanut, pineapple and tomato) and Ficus benjamina. A specific IgE quantification for 3 animal food allergens (codfish, cow's milk, egg's white) and 8 common inhalant allergens (Dermatophagoïdes pteronyssinus, birch pollen, timothy grass pollen, mugwort pollen, cat and dog epithelium, Aspergillus fumigatus and Cladosporium herbarum) was also performed. Because double blind placebo-controlled challenges could not be considered, for ethical reasons, patient's food allergy or immediate hypersensitivity for Ficus and inhalant allergens was documented by a standardised questionnaire. Diagnosis of atopy was based on a relevant history and the presence of a specific IgE antibody to at least one classical inhalant allergen. For some IgE determinations presence or absence of cross-reactivity was investigated by CAPinhibition tests. Results: A specific IgE antibody to at least one of the investigated inhalant and animal food allergens was found in respectively 76% and 12% of the serum samples. A plant food-specific IgE antibody was observed in 88% of the serum samples, most frequently to papaya (71%) and least frequently to kiwi (17%). Twentynine percent of the serum samples contained Ficus-IgE. According to the questionnaire and the threshold of 0.35 kUa/L, sensitivity of the plant food IgE antibodies varied between 0% for papaya and 73% for avocado. Specificity varied between 28% for papaya and 91% for kiwi. For Ficus-IgE sensitivity was 20% and specificity 70%. Conclusions: For inhalant and animal food allergens sensitivity and s