Relationship between pollen allergy and oral allergy syndrome

Abstract

We recently evaluated the relationship between pollen allergy and oral and pharyngeal hypersensitivity to fruits and vegetables (oral allergy syndrome) over 8 years (1995-2002) in Sapporo. 1. Of 843 patients with birch pollen (BP) allergy (CAP score 2 or more), 378 patients (37%) had episodes of oral allergy syndrome (OAS), and the rate in BP allergy was higher than in other allergies. 2. In patients with BP allergy, the most frequent foods causing OAS were apple, peach and cherry, followed by kiwi, pear, plum and melon. BP allergy patients demonstrated much more OAS with these foods than the patients without BP allergy. The higher the CAP score of BP, the higher the incidence of OAS to these foods was found to be. In patients with OAS and BP allergy, the higher the CAP score of BP, the higher the number of foods causing OAS was found to be. 3. In patients with BP allergy, a multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors affecting the rate of OAS. Positive factors were a high BP CAP score and being female. A negative factor was mite CAP positive. Furthermore, mugwort pollen (MP) CAP positive patients had much more OAS to kiwi and tomato than MP CAP negative patients.