[Food and food additives hypersensitivity in adult asthmatics. II. Oral allergy syndrome in adult asthmatic with or without Japanese cedar hay fever].

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate whether oral allergy syndrome (OAS) in Japan has a particular association with Japanese cedar (JC) hay fever and which kinds of food allergen cause OAS.

METHODS

The questionnaire was answered by 463 adult asthmatics. Each patient was submitted to skin scratch tests with fresh foods and commercial food extracts.

RESULTS

Of the 463 patients 45 (9.7%) were diagnosed as OAS. The foods, which most often provoked a reaction, were in order of frequency, melon, kiwi, crab and shrimp. The prevalence of OAS was higher in patients with JC hay fever than without JC hay fever. However, a higher prevalence of OAS was also found in house dust mite antibody positive patients than negative patients. There was no difference in the prevalence of OAS between JC hay fever and house dust mite antibody positive patients.

CONCLUSIONS

It is suggested that OAS has no particular association with JC hay fever. OAS in Japan is associated with different foods from other countries such as Scandinavia where apple is frequently associated with OAS.