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Is kiwifruit allergy a matter in kiwifruit‐cultivating regions? A population‐based study
Author(s) -
Haktanir Abul Mehtap,
Dereci Selim,
Hacisalihoglu Sadan,
Orhan Fazil
Publication year - 2017
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/pai.12666
Subject(s) - medicine , allergy , food allergy , population , actinidia deliciosa , immunoglobulin e , allergen , dermatology , horticulture , environmental health , immunology , biology , antibody
Background Although kiwifruit is known as a common cause of food allergy, population‐based studies concerning the prevalence of kiwifruit allergy do not exist. We aimed to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of IgE‐mediated kiwifruit allergy in 6–18‐year‐old urban schoolchildren in a region where kiwifruit is widely cultivated. Methods This cross‐sectional study recruited 20,800 of the randomly selected 6–18‐year‐old urban schoolchildren from the Rize city in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey during 2013. Following a self‐administered questionnaire completed by the parents and the child, consenting children were invited for skin prick tests ( SPT s) and oral food challenges ( OFC s). Children with suspected IgE‐mediated kiwifruit were skin prick tested with kiwifruit (commercial allergen and prick‐to‐prick test with fresh kiwifruit) and a pre‐defined panel of allergens (banana, avocado, latex, sesame seed, birch, timothy, hazel, cat, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Dermatophagoides farinae). All children with a positive SPT to kiwifruit were invited for an open OFC . The prevalence of IgE‐mediated kiwifruit allergy was established using open OFC s. Results The response rate to the questionnaire was 75.9% (15783/20800). The estimated prevalence of parental‐perceived IgE‐mediated kiwifruit allergy was 0.5% (72/15783) (95% CI , 0.39–0.61%). Of the 72 children, 52 (72.2%) were skin tested, and 17 (32.7%) were found to be positive to kiwifruit with both commercial extract and kiwifruit. The most frequently reported symptoms in kiwifruit SPT ‐positive children were cutaneous (n = 10, 58.8%) followed by gastrointestinal (n = 6, 35.3%) and bronchial (n = 4, 23.5%). Oral symptoms were reported in six (35.3%) children. All children who were kiwifruit positive by SPT were found positive during the oral challenge. The confirmed prevalence of IgE‐mediated kiwifruit allergy by means of open OFC in 6–18‐year‐old urban schoolchildren living in Rize city was 0.10% (95% CI , 0.06–0.16). Conclusion Prevalence of parental‐perceived and clinically confirmed kiwifruit allergy is not consistent. In contrast to expectations, kiwifruit allergy prevalence was low in a city where it is cultivated and highly consumed.