Birch pollen-related food as a provocation factor of allergic symptoms in children with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome.

Background: Food allergy to cow's milk or hen's egg is a common problem in children with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (AEDS) but the role of birch pollen-related food for the induction of allergic symptoms is still not clear.

Patients/methods: Twelve children (median age 5 years) with AEDS underwent an oral challenge with those birch pollen-related foods which were reported to induce no immediate symptoms, but were consumed on a regular basis. Total IgE and specific IgE to birch pollen, Bet v 1/2 and various birch pollen-related foods were determined.

Late eczematous reactions to food in children with atopic dermatitis.

Background: Food allergy is a common problem in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), particularly in children. While immediate reactions to food are well characterized, the importance of food as a provocation factor for late eczematous reactions has been a subject of debate for several decades.

Objective: To investigate the importance of food for the induction of late eczematous reactions in children with AD and to correlate the clinical outcome to the results of specific IgE determinations and atopy patch tests (APTs).