Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective study of prick-to-prick and APT tests made in atopic children attending to the Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology outpatient clinic aged 6 months to 19 years. Patients were stratified in 4 groups according to age (<1, 1-5, 6-10 and> 11 years), and by atopy-related diagnosis (asthma, rhinitis, food allergy, atopic dermatitis and eosinophilic gastroenteropathy).
Results: Total of 170 prick-to-prick with fresh foods were made, 135 were positive with the next distribution: milk 28.8%, (CI95%21.3-36.3%), egg white 20.1% (CI95%13.5-26.8%), banana 19.4% (C95%12.8-26%). Sensitization to milk was most common in children aged 1-5 years old with 26.9% (CI95%17.1-36.8%) compared with corn, nuts and peanuts p<0.05. Sensitization to milk was the most frequent in the food allergy diagnosis group with 27.1% (CI95%15.8-38.5%) compared with wheat, corn and peanuts p<0.05.
A total of 140 APT tests were made, 105 were positive with the next distribution: soybeans 53.3% (CI95%43.8-62.8%), peanut and chocolate both with 50.5% (CI95%40,9-60,0%). This finding was sustained in patients with atopic dermatitis with soybean 55.6% (CI95%36.8-74.3%) compared to egg yolk. Sensitization to soybeans was most common in children aged 1-5 years old with 52.1% (CI95%40.6-63.6%) compared to rice and egg yolk p<0.05. A different distribution was found for the 6-10 years old aged group: peanut 41.9% (CI95%27.1-56.6%) compared with egg yolk p<0.05.
Conclusions: Milk is the most common food-allergen found by prick-to-prick in children independent of age or allergic diagnosis, with statistical significant difference, when compared to other food-allergens, in the group of food-allergy diagnosis and in the 1-5 years old age-group. Soybean is the most common food-allergen found in atopy patch test in the groups <1, 1-5 and >11 years old, independent of atopy related diagnosis, with statistical significant difference, when compared to other food-allergens in the group of atopic dermatitis and in the 1-5 years old age-group. For the 6-10 years old group peanut was the most common food-allergen found by APT, independent of atopy related diagnosis