Immediate Type Hypersensitivity To Ovalbumin In Infants And Children - A Model For The Study Of Food Allergy

Ovalbumin has previously been demonstrated by us to be a major allergen of hen's egg (Folia Allergol.Immunol.Clin. 30, 83 (1983)). In order to determine the value of allergological in vitro methods for the evaluation of food allergy, we studied 26 infants and children (3 months – 12 years) with egg allergy and 10 healthy controls. Serum concentrations of specific IgE and IgG antibodies to ovalbumin were determined utilizing highly sensitive radioinmmunoassays. In addition, washed leukocytes from all patients were incubated with serial dilutions of ovalbumin for allergen induced histamine release. Histamine was assayed by the automated fluorometric technique. Titrated oral provocation tests with ovalbumin (1 mg up to 1 g) were performed in all patients. After oral provocation a typical immediate hypersensitivity reaction (urticaria, asthma, intestinal symptoms) was induced in 17 out of 26 children. Neither the presence of specific serum IgE antibodies to ovalbumin nor a positive histamine release test predicted the clinical relevance of ovalbumin sensitivity.