ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Prick test, a kind of skin test, is most frequently used in clinical procedure because of its simplicity and safety of application and better correlation with clinical history history as well as specificity and highty reproducibility. OBJECTIVE: Studies into the result and clinical significance of the pinprick test with relationship to food allergens as the contributing factor of urticaria. METHODS: We have examined the skin test with extracts of 45 food allergens(Bencard Ltd. In England) in three groups. 10 acute urticaria patients. 30 chronic urticaria patients, and normal controls. RESULTS: Of the 40 patients with urticaria, 23(57.5%) revealed positive reaction to one or more food allergens in comparison with 9(45.0%) of the control, ad there was no statistically significant difference(p>0.05). Positive reaction to food allergens in 15 food correlates was 11(73.3%), Which was higher than 11(44.4%) in 25 patients with no relation to food. and there was a statisticals difference (p>0.05). Food allergen groups which showed frequent positive reaction were fishes(35.0%), shell fishes(30.0%), cereals(27.5%), fruit(20.0%), vegetabies(17.5%), egg & milk(10.0%), and meats(7.5%) in that order. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that food allergen test might not be useful in evaluation the contributing factor of urticaria.