Low prevalence of latex sensitivity in South African spina bifida children in Cape Town

Abstract

Spina bifida children have a high prevalence of latex allergy in studies reported from Europe and the USA. This study investigated the prevalence of latex allergy in a cohort of 24 spina bifida children at the Red Cross Children's Hospital from Cape Town, South Africa. The children were investigated using a detailed questionnaire, skin prick tests (ALK-Abello), ImmunoCap RASTs, Western blotting and ELISA, using the purified latex proteins Hev b1 and Hev b3 and whole latex preparation. A low overall prevalence of latex sensitization of 16.7% was found in the children. Children who were sensitive reacted to water insoluble to Hev b1 and Hev b3 proteins. The low prevalence of latex sensitization in the South African children may not be entirely explained by stringent latex avoidance. The children were from a low socioeconomic social status and 'hygiene' and other factors should be considered.

Latex allergy: ‘Plight, rights and fights’

“…[7] There has therefore been a move to redefine the extractable proteins in gloves to arrive at new internationally accepted glove specific protein cut-off levels, using determination of other important latex allergen components. Certain components are more water soluble than others and easier to extract during glove manufacturing.…”

“…Latex allergy is also encountered more frequently in children with spina bifida than in other hospitalised children. [7] Sensitisation is usually confirmed by commercial latex allergy skinprick testing or by the Immunocap latex k82 blood latex test (ThermoFisher).…”

Natural Rubber Latex Allergy in Pediatric Patients

“…Patients may show anaphylaxis during surgery occurring as first symptom of a NRL allergy not known before. We and several other groups could demonstrate that the prevalence of patients with NRL-specific IgE antibodies against latex (sensitization) is much higher than of those who show allergic symptoms against NRL [12,13,20]. The rate of symptomatic patients is increasing with the value of NRLspecific IgE ( Table 1).…”

“…1). The more frequent patients from risk groups undergo surgeries, the higher is the prevalence of NRL sensitization [20]. In spina bifida patients prevalences of sensitization between 29 and 64 percent have been reported in all industrialized countries, while under the conditions of developing countries, where for instance surgical gloves are still washed and re-sterilized, only prevalences under five percent occur [21].…”

Spina bifida: A multidisciplinary perspective on a many-faceted condition

“…A high incidence of latex allergy has been reported in SBM patients, but this was not borne out in a study in Cape Town, perhaps owing to a longstanding policy of avoiding the use of latex products in these patients from the outset. [9] …”