Measurement and analysis of the common food allergens specific IgE

Abstract

Objective To explore the positive distribution characteristics and analyse the correlation of common food allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) with suspected food allergy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University. Methods Using fluorescence enzymelinked immunosorbent assay to detect the serum sIgE antibody of 854 patients,including 7 kinds of food allergens (milk,egg white,egg yolk,shrimp,crab,peanut and soybean) from July 2006 to January 2013.Data were processed by statistical software SPSS19.0. Results The positive rates of the 7 kinds of food allergen were 39.3% (283/720),36.3% (216/595),9.8% (28/285),21.2% (36/170),24.3% (17/70),14.8% (9/61) and 10.0% (5/50).Two hundred and eighty-two patients were detected egg white and egg yolk sIgE,the positive rate of egg white sIgE 59.6% (168/282) was much higher than the egg yolk sIgE 9.2% (26/282).The positive rate of the milk and egg white sIgE were different between the age groups and decreased with the age (milk:χ2=792.88;egg white:χ2=658.21,P<0.01).The degree in level 4 or above of milk and egg white sIgE were 1.08% (2/186) and 1.12% (2/178) in positive patients.Five hundred and twenty-eight patients were detected milk and egg white sIgE,26.9% (142/528) were both positive,sIgE levels in serum of them was moderately correlated (rs=0.758,P<0.01).Serum sIgE of shrimp and crab was detected in 64 patients,16 cases was positive of the shrimp,17 cases of the crab was positive,both positive in 16 cases,sIgE levels in serum of them were highly correlated (rs=0.973,P<0.01).In the simultaneous detection of 34 patients′serum sIgE of peanut and soybean,peanut was positive in 4 cases,soybean was positive in 3 cases,both positive in 2 cases,sIgE levels in serum of them were highly correlated (rs=0.879,P<0.01). Conclusions Egg white is the major allergen of egg allergy.The correlations of shrimp and crab,peanut and soybean are extremely high,probably because of their homology; egg white and milk are not homologous food,but the levels of sIgE between them display a moderately correlation,indicating the existing of synergistic reaction.(Chin J Lab Med,2013,36:912-915) Key words: Food hypersensitivity; Immunoglobulin E; Allergens