Korean J Dermatol.  1994 Feb;32(1):58-64.

A Study of Pinprick Test with Food Allergens in Urticaria

• Kim WH
• Kim KJ
• Lee CJ

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Prick test, a kind of skin test, is most frequently used in clinical procedure because of its simplicity and safety of application and better correlation with clinical history history as well as specificity and highty reproducibility.
OBJECTIVE
Studies into the result and clinical significance of the pinprick test with relationship to food allergens as the contributing factor of urticaria.
METHODS
We have examined the skin test with extracts of 45 food allergens(Bencard Ltd. In England) in three groups. 10 acute urticaria patients. 30 chronic urticaria patients, and normal controls.
RESULTS
Of the 40 patients with urticaria, 23(57.5%) revealed positive reaction to one or more food allergens in comparison with 9(45.0%) of the control, ad there was no statistically significant difference(p>0.05). Positive reaction to food allergens in 15 food correlates was 11(73.3%), Which was higher than 11(44.4%) in 25 patients with no relation to food. and there was a statisticals difference (p>0.05). Food allergen groups which showed frequent positive reaction were fishes(35.0%), shell fishes(30.0%), cereals(27.5%), fruit(20.0%), vegetabies(17.5%), egg & milk(10.0%), and meats(7.5%) in that order.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that food allergen test might not be useful in evaluation the contributing factor of urticaria.

Keyword

Urticaria; Food Allergen

MeSH Terms

Allergens*
Humans
Ovum
Sensitivity and Specificity
Skin Tests
Urticaria*
Allergens