Food allergy to apple and specific immunotherapy with birch pollen

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Kirsten Skamstrup Hansen
  • Marianne Søndergaard Khinchi
  • Per Stahl Skov
  • Carsten Bindslev-Jensen
  • Poulsen, Lars K.
  • Hans-Jørgen Malling
Conflicting results concerning the effect of specific pollen immunotherapy (SIT) on allergy to plant foods have been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of SIT using a birch pollen extract on food allergy with focus on allergy to apple. Seventy-four birch pollen-allergic patients were included in a double-blind, double-dummy, and placebo-controlled comparison of sublingual-swallow (SLIT) and subcutaneous (SCIT) administration of a birch pollen extract. Sixty-nine percent of these patients reported allergy to apple. The clinical reactivity to apple was evaluated by open oral challenges with fresh apple and a questionnaire. The immunoglobulin E (IgE)-reactivity was assessed by skin prick test (SPT), specific IgE, and leukocyte histamine release (HR). Forty patients were included in the final evaluation of the effect of SIT. The challenges were positive in 9 (SCIT), 6 (SLIT), and 8 (placebo) patients after treatment compared to 10, 4, and 10 patients, respectively, before SIT. The symptom scores to apple during challenges decreased in all groups, but only significantly in the placebo group (p = 0.03). As evaluated by the questionnaire, the severity of food allergy in general did not change and there were no differences between the groups. In spite of a significant effect on seasonal hay fever symptoms and use of medication and decrease in IgE-reactivity, SIT was not accompanied by a significant decrease in the severity of allergy to apple compared to placebo. Therefore, oral allergy syndrome (OAS) to apple should not be considered as a main criterion for selecting patients for birch pollen immunotherapy at present.
Original languageEnglish
JournalMolecular Nutrition & Food Research
Volume48
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)441-8
Number of pages8
ISSN1613-4125
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2004

    Research areas

  • Adult, Allergens, Betula, Desensitization, Immunologic, Double-Blind Method, Female, Food Hypersensitivity, Humans, Immunoglobulin E, Immunotherapy, Male, Malus, Middle Aged, Pollen, Questionnaires, Skin Tests

ID: 50844571