Risk Factors and Clinical Features in Cashew Nut Oral Food Challenges

Background: Cashew nuts (CN) are capable of causing severe allergic reactions. However, little has been reported about the details of CN oral food challenges (OFC).Methods: CN-specific IgE (sIgE) levels were measured for 1 year in 66 patients who underwent an OFC with>3 g CN for diagnosis or confirmation of tolerance acquisition between June 2006 and August 2014. We retrospectively analyzed the OFC and patient background.Results: The median (IQR) age of the 66 patients (48 boys/men and 18 girls/women) was 7.0 years (5.7-8.8). Twelve patients (18.2%) had a positive OFC result; 6 of 8 (75%) patients with a history of an immediate reaction to CN failed the OFC. Anaphylaxis was experienced by 5 of these 12 (42%) patients. A history of an immediate reaction to CN and the CN sIgE levels were significantly different for patients with a positive or negative OFC result (p66.1 kUA/L (95% PPV).Int Arch Allergy Immunol
Source: International Archives of Allergy and Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research