Allergen-specific IgE to food molecular components and age: From early childhood to adulthood.

BACKGROUND

Respiratory allergy is characterised by an IgE-mediated reaction. The immune system functions, including IgE production, progressively decline over time with growing up and ageing. Molecular-based allergy diagnostic defines sensitisation profile. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of age on serum allergen-specific IgE to molecular component levels in a large sample of subjects.

METHODS

Serum IgE to: rCor a11, rPru p3, nJug r3, rAra h8, rGly m4, rCor a8, nPen m1, nAct d8, Bos d 8, and nGal d2 were assessed by ISAC method. Sera from 2795 patients, 1234 males (44.1%) and 1561 females (55.9%), median age 23 years (1st and 3rd quartiles: 9.7-43.7 years; age range: 1 month-103 years) were analysed.

RESULTS

The number of positive tests (i.e. sensitisation) tended to increase between birth and school-age until young adulthood and then decreased. A similar age-dependent trend was observed considering the levels of each allergen components: the levels of each allergen component tended to increase until early adulthood, but Gal d 2 and Bos d 8 (rapidly diminishing), and then to decrease over time. However, the pattern is significantly dependent on each single tested food.

CONCLUSIONS

Allergen-specific IgE production to food molecular components tend to reduce with ageing, but with differences between allergens. This phenomenon should be adequately evaluated managing allergic patients.