Cellular-mediated reactions to chemical agents in food products by patients with food allergy

Sidorovich Olga, Luss Ludmila

NRC Institute of Immunology FMBA, Out-patient Department, Moscow

Background: In clinical practice we often face serious food allergy diagnostic and therapy problems because there are no specific clinical markers of allergic reactions to food. The problem is that adverse reactions to food could be caused by different mechanisms, for example sensibilisation to food allergens and food additives by food allergy.

Aim: The aim of this research was to bring out cellular-mediated reactions on chemical agents, which could play the role of additives in food products.

Methods: In this work we analysed patch-test “TRUE-TEST” (Nycomed/Mekos Laboratories AS) for diagnostics of cellular-mediated reactions on chemical agents in food. 23 patients with food allergy, 35 patients with food intolerance and 20 apparently healthy persons were examined.

Results: “TRUE-TEST” was positive for 75% of patients with food allergy. The positive results with allergens, which can be components of food and drug additives (thiomersal, flavors) were shown by 17,4% patients with IgE-mediated food allergy. Contact with these components gives the possibility of cross-reactivity with colouring agents and preservatives. We suppose cellular-mediated type of reactions not to food product, but to food additive by these patients. “TRUE-TEST” was negative for all patients with food intolerance and control group.

Conclusion: These results show the possibility of combination IgE-mediated mechanisms of food allergy with cellular-mediated reactions to agents, which have cross-reactivity to food allergens and additives.