Allergy epidemiology in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. V. Cereal ingestants.

Among the cereal ingestants, rice, rye, wheat, corn and oats, provocative skin tests of patients differed according to age. Sensitivity to rice and oats was low for children and that to rice in particular was high for adults, suggesting a differential immunological response to rice allergens. Compared to patient grass pollen reactions, response to ingestants was noticeably lower. Cross-reactivity among ingestants was also lower, particularly between oats and the other cereals.