ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, inflammatory relapsing skin disease fre- quently seen in children with a history of food allergy. Recently, acute allergic reaction to egg in patients with atopic dermatitis who have never been exposed to egg white protein has been reported. The pattern of antigen-antibody reaction by means of IgE and IgG western blotting was analysed to evaluate the possibility of non- dietary sensitization. METHODS: Total 16 children(<3 years old) with egg allergy were enrolled. Eight patients of them had never ingested egg before(Non-dietary sensitization, NDS) and the other 8 patients had a history of previous egg ingestion without significant clinical symptoms(Dietary sensitization, DS). Egg proteins were analysed by SOS-PAGE and antigen-antibody reaction by means of IgE and IgG was deteded by Western-Blotting. RESULTS: The pattern of IgE antibodies to egg white protein were similar in the two groups. IgG Western blotting to egg white in the two groups, the ovotran sferrine and ovalbumin were significantly bound by 100% of sera, respectively. In DS patients, specific IgG antibodies to ovomucoid was significantly bound by 87% (7/8) of sera whereas only 38%(3/8) of sera had detectable specific IgG antibodies against ovomucoid in NDS patients. CONCLUSION: Theses results suggest that specific IgE to egg white related to exposure of egg white protein regar specific IgG to ovomucoid is related to dietary ingestion of egg. Specific IgG to ovalbumin and ovotrans-ferrine show good clinical correlation, further study might be essential to clarify to this hypothesis.