J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol.
1998 Sep;18(3):458-465.
Oral allergy syndrome in pollen - sensitized patients
Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Oral allergy syndrome(OAS) is composed of it,ching sense and edema in oral
cavity, lips, throat, pharynx, and larynx following eating some fresh fruits or vegetables.
It has been known that most of patients with OAS are allergic to pollens. Common epitopes
were found among pollens, fruits and vegetables. Although OAS is a common farm of food
allergy in adults, this is the first epidemiologic study of OAS in Korea.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: One hundred and fifty one patients who showed positive skin reaction
to pollens were telephone-interviewed. Investigation of the prevalence and clinical
manifestations of OAS was possible in 81 patients.
RESULT: The prevalence of OAS among these patients was 34.6% (28/81). OAS was found in
24(48%) out of 50 patients sensitized to tree pollens, whereas 4(13%) of 31 grass or weed
pollen-sensitized paients had OAS. Most common causative food was apple and all of 17
apple- OAS patients were sensitized to tree pollens. Peach was the second common food and
14 of 15 peach-OAS patients were sensitized to tree pollens. Besides oral symptoms, rhinitis,
asthma, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or generalized urticaria were accompanied in half of
the OAS patients (14/28). Some patients showed OAS to some unique Korean foods such as
dropwort, taro and Aster.
CONCLUSION
OAS was very common in pollen-sensitized patients.
Larger epidemiologic studies are needed to find unique Korean foods and their antigensm
causing OAS.