Prevalence of IgE-Mediated Food Hypersensitivity to Cereals and Beans Based on Skin Prick Test in Children with Celiac Disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Celiac disease is a non-IgE mediated food allergy, which can cause extensive villus atrophy. Because of increased food allergen absorption, there are elevated IgA and IgG antibodies in these patients, so there is a concern about IgE antibody production against wheat and other cereals.

Objective

In this study, we evaluated IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to wheat, rice, and other cereals in children with celiac disease.

METHODS

44 individuals with the celiac disease aged between 2 and 17 years (mean 8.4 years) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The study was performed between April 2018 and January 2019 in the pediatric gastroenterology clinic at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. All of the patients underwent skin prick tests for wheat, corn, rice, and peanut. The results were analyzed using SPSS software version 16, and statistical analysis was done with the Chi-squared test. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

22 patients (50%) had at least one positive skin prick test to food allergens. The most frequent food allergen was peanut (31.8%), followed by wheat (18.2%), corn (9.1%), and rice (4.5%). The results revealed no significant correlation between age, sex, and the results of the skin prick test (p>0.05). The correlation between diagnosis time of celiac disease and results of skin prick test was also not significant statistically (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Because of the high prevalence of IgE mediated hypersensitivity to cereals and beans in children with celiac disease, a skin prick test might be considered in these patients, especially in refractory cases.