Reported food-related symptoms and food allergen sensitization in a selected adult population in Hyderabad, India: A hospital-based survey

Abstract

BackgroundResearch on reported food-related triggers of atopic disease in South Asian adults is lacking despite the region's large population, despite the global significance of allergic diseases. ObjectivesThe study aimed to identify prevalent local food items and assess allergic sensitization rates to potential trigger foods for atopic diseases via skin prick tests (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) testing. MethodsThe study began with a pilot survey (N=100; recruited from four hospitals in Hyderabad, focusing on foods perceived to relate to asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, and gastrointestinal allergic symptoms. Subsequently, a main study evaluated 2010 participants, of which 1754 individuals diagnosed with an aforementioned atopic disease reported allergic symptoms related to any of 77 foods identified in the pilot study. Ultimately, 1622 patients who consented to SPT and sIgE testing and reported at least one food item triggering allergic diseases were included in the final analysis. ResultsAmong 1622 patients (average age: 42.6±12.9 years; 55.5% male), asthma was the most common diagnosed atopic disease (26.4%), with itching and rashes as the frequently reported symptoms (22.7%). Notably, 94.9% of patients had total serum IgE >144 kU/L. Chickpea, cabbage, eggplant, walnut, cumin, and betel leaf were the most commonly reported trigger foods. ConclusionIn this sample of South Indian adults diagnosed with allergic disease, reported food triggers were most commonly local dietary staples, while reported reactions to priority allergens like peanut and sesame were conspicuously absent. Observed concordance between patient-reported food triggers and sensitization to reported food triggers was low, highlighting the need for improved clinical evaluation of suspected triggers.