Factors Associated With Egg Allergy Persistence Beyond 8 Years of Age.

AIM: To identify clinical and laboratory factors associated with egg allergy persistence beyond age 8 in children diagnosed within the first 2 years of life.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed 77 children with IgE-mediated egg allergy (2013-2024). Patients were classified into persistent (n = 12) and tolerance (n = 65) groups after at least 8 years of follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors.

RESULTS

Persistence beyond age 8 occurred in 12 patients (15.6%). Multivariable analysis identified diagnosis at ≤ 5 months (OR 21.37), multiple food allergies (OR 8.47), and higher baseline egg-white specific IgE (F1) levels (OR 1.09 per 1 kU/L rise) as independent risk factors. The area under the curve (AUC) for initial F1 levels was 0.896 (95% CI: 0.808-0.985). A combined multivariable model incorporating diagnosis age, multiple food allergies, and initial F1 levels demonstrated superior predictive performance with an AUC of 0.935 (95% CI: 0.861-0.999).

CONCLUSION

Early diagnosis, multiple food allergies, and high baseline specific IgE levels are strong predictors of egg allergy persistence beyond age 8. These factors enable clinicians to stratify high-risk patients and tailor long-term management strategies.