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Volume: 6 Issue: 4 November 2008 - Supplement - 1

FULL TEXT

FOOD ALLERGY AFTER LIVER TRANSPLANTATION IN CHILDREN: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Food allergy (FA) has been increasingly reported in children who undergo liver-transplantation (LT). We aimed to conduct a prospective study to investigate the prevalence of sensitizations and food allergy in pediatric LT patients. We also aimed to identify potential risk factors. Twenty eight children with end-stage liver disease (14 male, mean age 4.96±0.76 years) who had LT between September 2004 and February 2008 were included in the study. Total eosinophil count, total IgE, and food specific IgEs were studied before and 3, 6, 12 months after transplantation. Six patients (21%) developed multiple food allergies. Mean age of 6 patients at LT who developed FA was younger compared to the non-FA group (10.2 months versus 68.9 months, respectively p<0.05). Food allergy has been developed within 1 year in 5, and in 20 months in one patient after LT. All 6 patients had cow’s milk and egg allergy after LT. Five children developed wheat, one children developed lentil and another one developed peach allergy in addition to cow’s milk and egg. The allergic symptoms were chronic diarrhea in 3 patients, angioedema in one patient, and both in 2 patients. We performed endoscopic examinations in three of 5 patients who developed diarrhea. Endoscopic examinations were visually normal, however duodenal and colonic biopsies revealed eosinophilic duedonitis and eosinophilic colitis in all of them. Before LT, total eosinophil counts and total IgE levels were not different among food allergic and non-food allergic patients (p>0.05). Mean value of total eosinophil counts were significantly higher in food allergic group compared to non-food allergic group at each cross section after OLT (p<0.05). Though statistically insignificant, mean of total IgE levels were also higher in the food allergic group (p>0.05). In Conclusion, Pretransplant investigations (total IgE and eosinophil count) did not predict post LT food allergy. Young infants were more prone to developing FA. Elevated total eosinophil counts may be an indicator for FA.



Volume : 6
Issue : 4
Pages : 198


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Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey