2001 Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 209-214
Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) is a distinctive type of IgE-mediated allergy resulting from direct oral contact with fresh fruits and vegetable. It is proposed to be a result of cross-reacting allergens in the foods and pollens.
We studied 255 patients (95 males and 160 females) with birch pollen allergy (BPA). The diagnosis was confirmed by the clinical symptoms of seasonal rhinitis and the presence of the specific antibirch IgE antibody by CAP-RAST (a class equal to or greater than 2). The onset of BPA, atopic symptoms, and a family history were examined. We asked about oral hypersensitivity to 32 kinds of fruits and vegetables such as apples, peaches, nuts, celery, and melons.
The results were as follows; 1) We found that 42.7% of birch pollen allergic patients had oral symptoms after fruit and vegetable ingestion. 2) The causative foods in OAS, in order of frequency, were apples, peaches, cherries, plums, and others. A total of 82% of patients with OAS showed hypersensitivity to more than two foods. 3) The OAS was significantly related to the duration of BPA. OAS-positive patients had a longer duration of BPA than OAS-negative ones (mean years 9.50 vs 5.99; p<.000005).4) The class for specific antibirch pollen IgE levels was significantly greater in OAS-positive patients than in OAS-negative ones (p<.0000001), whereas no difference was observed in total. IgE levels between the two groups. 5) The prick+prick technique was reliable and practical without too much pseudopodia.
