Sicherer S H
Division of Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, N.Y. 10029-6574, USA.
Am Fam Physician. 1999 Jan 15;59(2):415-24, 429-30.
The term "food allergy" refers to adverse immunologic reactions to food. Food allergy is usually mediated by IgE antibody directed to specific food proteins, but other immunologic mechanisms can also play a role. The primary target organs for food allergic reactions are the skin, the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory system. Both acute reactions (hives and anaphylaxis) and chronic disease (asthma, atopic dermatitis and gastrointestinal disorders) may be caused or exacerbated by food allergy. The foods most commonly causing these reactions in children are milk, egg, peanuts, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish and shellfish; in adults, they are peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish and fish. The diagnosis of food allergy requires a careful search for possible causes, confirmation of the cause(s) with supporting tests, including specific tests for IgE (i.e., prick skin tests, radioallergosorbent tests) and, in some cases, oral food challenges. Treatment consists of elimination of the causal food(s) along with medical treatment, including the prompt self-administration of epinephrine in the event of a serious reaction.
“食物过敏”一词指对食物产生的不良免疫反应。食物过敏通常由针对特定食物蛋白的IgE抗体介导，但其他免疫机制也可能起作用。食物过敏反应的主要靶器官是皮肤、胃肠道和呼吸系统。急性反应（荨麻疹和过敏反应）和慢性疾病（哮喘、特应性皮炎和胃肠道疾病）都可能由食物过敏引起或加重。在儿童中，最常引起这些反应的食物是牛奶、鸡蛋、花生、大豆、小麦、坚果、鱼类和贝类；在成人中，则是花生、坚果、贝类和鱼类。食物过敏的诊断需要仔细寻找可能的病因，并通过支持性检查来确认病因，包括针对IgE的特异性检查（即皮肤点刺试验、放射变应原吸附试验），在某些情况下还需要进行口服食物激发试验。治疗包括避免食用致病食物以及进行药物治疗，在发生严重反应时应立即自行注射肾上腺素。
