POLLEN-FOOD ALLERGY SYNDROME AMONG CHILDREN WITH SENSITIZED TO SPRING TREES

Abstract

It is known that among 40–70 % of patients pollinosis can run in conjunction with pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFS), while development of PFS is associated with the consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and spices. Clinical course and severity of the disease depend on the sensitization profile, which can be represented by proteins-panallergens (PR-10, profilins, nsLTPs). However, there is little information about the sensitization profiles of patients with pollinosis caused by pollen of spring trees in Ukraine. Aim. To study the profiles of sensitization of children with spring pollinosis. Methods. We examined 61 children (aged 4–17 years) with spring seasonal allergic rhinitis/rhinoconjunctivitis (SAR). To establish the diagnosis, all children were given questionnaires, skin prick tests (SPTs) with commercial pollen extracts, and prick to prick tests with fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. Component resolved diagnosis (CRD) were detected using an ImmunoCAP system. (Phadia, 100). Results. It has been found that in 43 children (70.5 %) had polinosis in combination with PFS, the main clinical manifestation of which was an oral allergic syndrome in 43 children (100 %). Among the causal food allergens that caused the manifestations of PFS were more apples, peaches, carrots and hazelnuts (consumption of which led to 11.6 % of children before the development of anaphylaxis). All of the examined children (100 %) had a positive IgE response to rBet v 1 at significant concentrations. In 9.3 % of children, panallergens were found at once from several botanical groups. Such panallergens: rBet v 2, rBet v 4, rPhl p 7, rPhl p 12, rArt v 3 are generally not defined in the control group children. Conclusions. Birch related PFS are common in Ukrainian pollen-allergic children with nuts and fruits predominantly implicated. Sensitization profile of children with Birch-pollen syndrome is complex and associated with sensitization to panalergens. Clinicians should be worried of PFS in patients with a high degree of sensitization to birch pollen and even young children if they have birch sensitization.