Etiology and clinical feature of oral allergy syndrome in children

PURPOSE: Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) is a unique allergic reaction to fresh fruits or vegetables, which is caused by cross-reactivity between foods and pollens. This study was conducted to investigate the clinical feature of OAS and relevant pollen allergens as well as the association between them in Korean children. METHODS: This single-center study included 290 children who were sensitized to pollens at Severance Hospital, and the clinical characteristics of children with and without OAS were compared. A multicenter study included 97 children who were diagnosed with OAS at 3 hospitals between January 2008 and June 2014. The details of clinical features were collected by retrospective medical record reviews using a standardized case report form. The relevant pollen allergens were identified by skin prick tests and/or serum specific IgE levels. RESULTS: The most commonly sensitized allergen was Japanese hop in pollen-sensitized children. Children with OAS were most commonly sensitized to birch and oak, and 12.4% of the pollen-sensitized children had OAS in the single center. The number of children who were newly diagnosed with OAS has increased over the past 7 years. The most common causative food of OAS was apple. More than 60% of patients with OAS had oral allergic reactions to multiple foods. CONCLUSION: OAS may be relatively common in pollen-sensitized children. OAS should be considered in children with allergic disease and sensitization to pollens.

Oral allergy syndrome in pollen - sensitized patients / 천식및알레르기

BACKGROUND: Oral allergy syndrome(OAS) is composed of it,ching sense and edema in oral cavity, lips, throat, pharynx, and larynx following eating some fresh fruits or vegetables. It has been known that most of patients with OAS are allergic to pollens. Common epitopes were found among pollens, fruits and vegetables. Although OAS is a common farm of food allergy in adults, this is the first epidemiologic study of OAS in Korea. MATERIAL AND METHOD: One hundred and fifty one patients who showed positive skin reaction to pollens were telephone-interviewed. Investigation of the prevalence and clinical manifestations of OAS was possible in 81 patients. RESULT: The prevalence of OAS among these patients was 34.6% (28/81). OAS was found in 24(48%) out of 50 patients sensitized to tree pollens, whereas 4(13%) of 31 grass or weed pollen-sensitized paients had OAS. Most common causative food was apple and all of 17 apple- OAS patients were sensitized to tree pollens. Peach was the second common food and 14 of 15 peach-OAS patients were sensitized to tree pollens. Besides oral symptoms, rhinitis, asthma, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or generalized urticaria were accompanied in half of the OAS patients (14/28). Some patients showed OAS to some unique Korean foods such as dropwort, taro and Aster. CONCLUSION: OAS was very common in pollen-sensitized patients. Larger epidemiologic studies are needed to find unique Korean foods and their antigensm causing OAS.