Biolab Diagnostic Laboratories, Amman, Jordan.
Department of Basic Research, Cell Therapy Center, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
Immun Inflamm Dis. 2020 Sep;8(3):384-392. doi: 10.1002/iid3.320. Epub 2020 Jun 15.
Despite the recognition of food allergies as a significant cause of morbidity and a growing public health burden worldwide, there are no epidemiological studies addressing food sensitization and allergy in Jordan.
To conduct an epidemiological study that retrospectively analyzes sensitization data from 3463 patients with suspected immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergic reactions who performed specific IgE tests in our laboratories in Jordan.
Specific IgE (s-IgE) tests were analyzed for patients who performed enzyme allegro-sorbent testing based on either self-reported food allergy or upon physician's request.
2.3% of the analyzed samples were cross-reactive to carbohydrate determinants. A quarter of the patients were sensitized to one or more food allergens, with males having higher odds of being s-IgE positive. Furthermore, a higher prevalence of sensitization was seen in infants and children compared with adults. s-IgE was most frequently found against cow milk (11.2%), pistachio (4.9%), soybean (4.6%), cherry (4.4%), and orange (4.4%). Interestingly, the s-IgE class distribution profile of pistachio differed from the rest of the top hits being skewed away from the weak class 1 leaning more towards higher IgE classes. Food allergen sensitization was age group-dependent: milk, tree nuts, and eggs were the main food groups causing sensitization in infants, while it was fruits followed by milk in children and adults.
Our work represents the first epidemiological study addressing food sensitization in Jordan. This study lays a solid foundation for future studies that can help better guide food allergy diagnosis, patient dietary modifications, and food elimination plans, as well as assist decision-makers in the region to develop national strategies for an efficient and sustainable healthcare system.
尽管食物过敏已被确认为发病率的重要原因，且在全球范围内成为日益严重的公共卫生负担，但在约旦，尚无针对食物致敏和过敏的流行病学研究。
开展一项流行病学研究，回顾性分析在我们位于约旦的实验室进行特异性 IgE（s-IgE）检测的 3463 例疑似 IgE 介导的食物过敏反应患者的致敏数据。
根据患者自述的食物过敏或医生的要求，对进行酶联免疫吸附试验的患者进行 s-IgE 检测。
分析的样本中有 2.3%与碳水化合物决定簇发生交叉反应。四分之一的患者对一种或多种食物过敏原呈致敏状态，男性发生 s-IgE 阳性的可能性更高。此外，与成人相比，婴儿和儿童的致敏率更高。s-IgE 最常针对牛奶（11.2%）、开心果（4.9%）、大豆（4.6%）、樱桃（4.4%）和橙子（4.4%）。有趣的是，开心果的 s-IgE 类分布特征与其他主要过敏原不同，偏向于更高的 IgE 类别，而非弱 1 类。食物过敏原致敏与年龄有关：牛奶、树坚果和鸡蛋是导致婴儿致敏的主要食物组，而在儿童和成人中则是水果，其次是牛奶。
我们的工作代表了约旦首次针对食物致敏进行的流行病学研究。这项研究为未来的研究奠定了坚实的基础，有助于更好地指导食物过敏诊断、患者饮食调整和食物消除计划，并为该地区的决策者制定高效和可持续的医疗保健系统的国家战略提供帮助。
