BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data on food allergy are scarce in African countries. We studied the prevalence of food sensitization in Ghanaian schoolchildren. METHODS: Children (5-16 years; n = 1,714) from 9 Ghanaian schools were given parental consent to participate in the study. Adverse reactions and food consumption were determined by a questionnaire and atopy by skin prick testing (SPT) to peanut and 6 fruits. Subjects with positive SPTs were considered cases (n = 43) and matched with at least 1 control (n = 84), using age, sex, and school as matching criteria. Serum samples from case-control sets were analyzed for specific IgE (sIgE) to foods that elicited a positive SPT response in cases. RESULTS: Overall, 11% of 1,407 children reported adverse reactions to foods, and 5% of 1,431 children showed a positive SPT reaction mostly directed against peanut and pineapple (both 2%). Although there was a positive association between adverse reactions and SPT responses to any food allergen in the urban children (adjusted OR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.2-10.8), most of the reported adverse reactions were not in children showing an SPT reaction to the specific food item. sIgE sensitization was very variable for the different foods, ranging from 0 to 100% in cases, and from 0 to 25% among controls. High IgE levels for a food item significantly increased the risk of SPT positivity to any food item in the urban, but not in the rural, schoolchildren. CONCLUSIONS: Specific foods were identified to be allergenic in Ghana. We show a good association between SPT and sIgE in urban, but not in rural, schoolchildren. However, there was no clear association between reported adverse reactions to food and SPT or sIgE.
BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data on food allergy are scarce in African countries. We studied the prevalence of food sensitization in Ghanaian schoolchildren. METHODS:Children (5-16 years; n = 1,714) from 9 Ghanaian schools were given parental consent to participate in the study. Adverse reactions and food consumption were determined by a questionnaire and atopy by skin prick testing (SPT) to peanut and 6 fruits. Subjects with positive SPTs were considered cases (n = 43) and matched with at least 1 control (n = 84), using age, sex, and school as matching criteria. Serum samples from case-control sets were analyzed for specific IgE (sIgE) to foods that elicited a positive SPT response in cases. RESULTS: Overall, 11% of 1,407 children reported adverse reactions to foods, and 5% of 1,431 children showed a positive SPT reaction mostly directed against peanut and pineapple (both 2%). Although there was a positive association between adverse reactions and SPT responses to any food allergen in the urban children (adjusted OR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.2-10.8), most of the reported adverse reactions were not in children showing an SPT reaction to the specific food item. sIgE sensitization was very variable for the different foods, ranging from 0 to 100% in cases, and from 0 to 25% among controls. High IgE levels for a food item significantly increased the risk of SPT positivity to any food item in the urban, but not in the rural, schoolchildren. CONCLUSIONS: Specific foods were identified to be allergenic in Ghana. We show a good association between SPT and sIgE in urban, but not in rural, schoolchildren. However, there was no clear association between reported adverse reactions to food and SPT or sIgE.
Authors: Luis Caraballo; Josefina Zakzuk; Bee Wah Lee; Nathalie Acevedo; Jian Yi Soh; Mario Sánchez-Borges; Elham Hossny; Elizabeth García; Nelson Rosario; Ignacio Ansotegui; Leonardo Puerta; Jorge Sánchez; Victoria Cardona Journal: World Allergy Organ J Date: 2016-06-27 Impact factor: 4.084
Authors: Nilza R S Lyra; Maria E F A Motta; Luiz A R Rocha; Dirceu Solé; Décio M Peixoto; José A Rizzo; Luis Taborda-Barata; Emanuel S C Sarinho Journal: J Allergy (Cairo) Date: 2013-10-01
Authors: Abena S Amoah; Benedicta B Obeng; Irene A Larbi; Serge A Versteeg; Yvonne Aryeetey; Jaap H Akkerdaas; Laurian Zuidmeer; Jonas Lidholm; Montserrat Fernández-Rivas; Franca C Hartgers; Daniel A Boakye; Ronald van Ree; Maria Yazdanbakhsh Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2013-06-12 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Susan L Prescott; Ruby Pawankar; Katrina J Allen; Dianne E Campbell; John Kh Sinn; Alessandro Fiocchi; Motohiro Ebisawa; Hugh A Sampson; Kirsten Beyer; Bee-Wah Lee Journal: World Allergy Organ J Date: 2013-12-04 Impact factor: 4.084