Screening of Immunoglobulin E mediated Food Allergies among Children

Abstract Background Food allergy is a major public health concern all over the world. Data are lacking on the number of affected children, severity of food allergy, and burden of the disease. Objectives The current research aims at exploring the most common sensitization patterns of food allergy as well as collecting data on clinical presentation among pediatrics. Methods The sensitization pattern of the most common 21 food allergens through ImmunoLINE IgE Nutritional assay as well as total serum IgE test were assessed. The assessment was conducted on a group of 188 children aged from one to five years who visited the pediatric outpatient clinic of Suez Canal University hospital. Results One or more specific allergen components related IgE antibodies were found in 74.5% of the study participants. The mean level of total IgE in serum was 122.86 ±72.93 IU/ml. In addition, the percentage of children who were diagnosed with food allergy reached 22.3% whereas the percentage of those who were confirmed with food allergy was 4.3%. Furthermore, Egg yolk was represented as the most frequently food allergen with a percentage of 27.7% whereas egg white and cow milk amounted to 23.4%. Conclusion Most of the children were found to be poly-sensitized. The frequent food allergies confirmed via ImmunoLINE IgE Nutritional assay were caused by cow's milk and egg yolk allergens.