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Sensitivity and allergy to latex in atopic and non‐atopic children
Author(s) -
Liebke C.,
Niggemann B.,
Wahn U.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3038.1996.tb00115.x
Subject(s) - medicine , allergy , latex allergy , dermatology , immunology
To study the sensitivity and allergy to latex in children, we investigated sera of 306 atopic md 303 non‐atopic children (median age 4. 5 years) for specif‐ic IgE to latex. In patients with specific IgE to latex, a questionnaire was sent to families and provocation tests were carried out. 60/306 atopic children (20. 8%) and 1/303 non‐atopic children (0. 3 %) showed specific IgE to latex in serum. The proportion of atopic. latex‐sensitized and provocation positive children was 12/48 (25 %). Specific IgE to latex was significantly higher (p < 0.03) in symptomatic compared to non‐symptomatic patients. Specificity of a positive history was 92 %, sensitivity 50 %. Atopic dermati‐tis tended to be more prevalent among the 12 provocation positive atopic children (75 %) compared to 36 provocation negative children (58 %). There was a tendency that children of the symptomatic group underwent surgical interventions more frequently compared to non‐symptomatic children. In conclusion, latex sensitization and latex allergy seem to have oc‐cured more often in atopic children than previously known. Risk factors for the development of a sensitization to latex are atopy and the clinical diagno‐sis of atopic dermatitis; risk factors for a clinically manifest allergy to latex are an elevated specific IgE to latex, a positive history upon contact to mate‐rial containing latex and probably frequent operations. Provocation tests should be performed to plan avoidance measures in latex‐allergic children especially before surgical interventions.