Peculiarities of egg allergy in children with bird protein sensitization.

BACKGROUND

Hen's egg is frequently implicated in food allergy in children. Sometimes this allergy is associated with bird protein sensitization.

OBJECTIVE

A study was conducted to establish the possible role of bird protein sensitization in the clinical picture and evolution of egg allergy in patients with both egg and bird sensitization.

METHODS

Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics and the results of allergic study of 27 patients with both egg and bird allergy were compared with those of a control group of 19 egg-allergic patients without bird protein sensitization. All patients were evaluated clinically each year during the 4 years subsequent to the beginning of the study or until clinical tolerance to egg was achieved.

RESULTS

Patients with bird sensitization had more frequent digestive and respiratory symptoms related to egg ingestion compared with the control group. At the end of follow-up. 15% of the bird sensitized patients and 58% of the controls tolerated egg. Egg yolk sensitization was the major sensitization in bird-sensitized patients.

CONCLUSION

It is necessary to exclude sensitization to bird proteins in egg-allergic patients, mainly when they show respiratory or digestive symptoms after egg ingestion, the egg allergy persists over a long period of time or egg yolk sensitization is strong.