Asthma continues to be an increasing cause of morbidity in the pediatric population, and studies have shown an association between food sensitivity and asthma.

Julie Wang, from Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, and colleagues investigated the degree of food allergen sensitization in inner-city patients with asthma.

Five hundred four random serum samples from the National Cooperative Inner City Asthma Study ( NCICAS ) were evaluated for specific IgE to 6 common food allergens ( egg, milk, soy, peanut, wheat, and fish ).

Forty-five percent of patients had evidence of sensitization ( food-specific IgE 0.35 kU/L ) to at least 1 food.
Nineteen percent had IgE levels at 50% positive predictive value for clinical reactivity to at least 1 food, with 4% of patients having levels >95% positive predictive value for food allergy.

Children sensitized to foods had higher rates of asthma hospitalization and required more steroid medications.

Sensitization to foods also correlated with sensitization to more indoor and outdoor aeroallergens.

Researchers concluded that food allergen sensitization is highly prevalent in the inner-city population with asthma, and it is associated with increased asthma healthcare and medication use.
Therefore, food allergen sensitivity may be a marker for increased asthma severity.

Source: Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, 2005


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