Alta prevalencia de sensibilización a alimentos en adultos con enfermedades alérgicas residentes en la zona metropolitana de Guadalajara 1 Hospital Civil de Guadalajara "Dr. Juan I. Menchaca", Servicio de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica. Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. 2 Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud. Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. 3 Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Licenciatura en Medicina. Zapopan, Jalisco, México. 4 Hospital Civil de Guadalajara "Dr. Juan I. Menchaca", Servicio de Medicina Interna. Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
AbstractBackground: The prevalence of food sensitization in adults shows differences owing to geographic, regional and cultural circumstances. Objective: To identify the prevalence and factors associated with food sensitization in adults with allergic diseases. Methods: Cross-sectional study, where medical records of adult patients with any allergic disease and who tested positive to airborne allergens on at least one skin test were reviewed. Age, sex, underlying allergic disease and skin test result were recorded. Statistical analyses included food sensitization prevalence with the corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CI), as well as a multivariate analysis to determine associated factors. Results: We included 258 patients with a mean of 36 years of age; 75 % were of the female sex. The most common underlying condition was allergic rhinitis (59 %). The prevalence of food sensitization was 37 % (95 % CI, 31.5-43.3) and it did not vary significantly according to sex or allergic disease in question. The most sensitizing food was soybeans (44.8 %), and associated factors were sensitization to cat dander (OR = 1.8; 95 % CI, 1.03-3.2) and 5 or more positive skin tests (OR = 4.3, 95 % CI 2.3-8.1). Conclusions: The prevalence of food sensitization in people with allergic disease was 40 %. Further studies are required to determine its prevalence in the general population.