Fish allergy in children.

Fish allergy is a relevant clinical problem in fish eating and/or processing communities but, because of the technologic advances of the preserved food industry, it may now be said to be a worldwide problem. Among 558 consecutive children referred for atopic diseases, 25 (4.48%) subjects skin test- and RAST- positive to cod were recorded and we extrapolated that about 4-5/1000 children have allergy to cod in our areas. As a group, children with cod allergy seem to manifest a higher atopic condition and more severe clinical manifestations. IgE level z-score (mean +/- SD) was significantly (P < .001) higher in 68 cod-positive children (14.27 +/- 3.87) than in 533 children positive to other inhalant and/or food allergens (8.12 +/- 4.06). In spite of a smaller median age (59 months), cod-positive children had a higher frequency of asthma (41/68 = 60.2%) than children with other allergies, and age at the onset of asthma was significantly (P < .001) younger in the former (32 months) than in the latter (41 months) subjects. In addition, urticaria-angioedema was more frequently recorded in cod-allergic children (23/68 = 33.8%) than in patients with allergy to inhalants (26/410 = 6.3%; P < .01), inhalants and foods different from cod (11/74 = 14.8%; P < .01), or foods different from cod (6/49 = 12.2%; P < .01). The male:female ratio in cod-allergic children (3.53) was significantly higher than that observed in children with allergy to inhalants (1.78; P = .037) or foods (0.68; P < .0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)