Abstract
Food allergy is common among children with allergic asthma and has been linked to asthma severity. However, the relation between IgE sensitisation to food allergens and local airways inflammation or systemic inflammation in subjects with allergic asthma has been little studied.
Within the frame of an industry-academy collaboration on minimally-invasive diagnostics (MIDAS), fraction of NO in exhaled air (FeNO), serum eosinophil cationic protein (sECP) and IgE against aero- or food allergen mix was measured in 151 asthmatic children aged 10-18 years. Three asthma groups were defined: non-atopic (n=31, median age 15 yrs), IgE-sensitised to only aeroallergens (n=59, median age 15 yrs) and IgE-sensitised to both aero- and food allergens (n=61, median age 14 yrs).
FeNO levels were 8.9 ppb (7.1, 11.1) in non-atopic asthmatics, 14.2 ppb (11.7, 17.2) in aeroallergen-sensitised asthmatics and 23.4 ppb (19.4, 28.3) in asthmatics sensitised to both aero- and food allergens (p<0.01 for all comparisons). Corresponding sECP levels for the three groups were: 9.6 ng/mL (7.9, 11.8), 11.9 ng/mL (9.7, 14.5) (p=0.55 vs. non-atopic asthma), 21.9 ng/mL (18.6, 25.7) (p<0.001 vs. each of the other two groups). Asthmatic subjects sensitized to both aero- and food allergens had higher levels of FeNO and sECP than non-sensitised or aeroallergens-sensitised subjects, after adjustments for gender, age, height, lung function, total IgE.
In conclusion, sensitisation to food allergens is common among children with allergic asthma and is related to increased local as well as systemic inflammation. The clinical implications of these findings warrant further studies.
- © 2012 ERS