Increase in prevalence of allergy-like respiratory symptoms in IDDM patients contrasting with a decrease in positive skin prick tests.

Aim: The goal of this study was to investigate a possible relationship between allergic symptoms, atopy skin prick test results in type 1 diabetic patients and in non diabetic controls.

Methods: 50 type 1 diabetic patients and 50 healthy control subjects were evaluated for allergic disorders with regard to medical history. All persons were skin-prick-tested for atopic sensitization with a common panel of inhalant and food allergens.

Results: Although in the diabetic group 56% of the patients reported allergy-like respiratory symptoms, only 22% were found to have positive skin tests. In the control group 22% had allergic complaints and skin prick tests were positive in 34% of the cases.

Conclusion: Nasal and bronchial allergy-like symptoms were increased in IDDM patients in comparison to a control population. However there was a small decrease (not significant) in prevalence of positive atopy skin tests in diabetic patients in comparison to controls. This suggests that IDDM patients have an important load of allergy-like symptoms that are not linked to an IgE sensitization.