XXXX to cereals and dairy products in adult, uncomplicated asthma: an epidemiological survey.

@entity1 @entity66 @entity6766 @entity1353 @entity484 @entity566 @entity2490 @entity1729 @entity112 @entity9416 @entity110
From a representative group from the adult population (34.958) of a town of 77.384 inhabitants, 99 @entity1 were selected who: a) claimed to be periodically dyspneic independently with respect to @entity1729 . b) had normal chest x-rays and normal PE flow values. Approximately one year later, a history of @entity66 was taken from 79 of them, and intradermal skin tests were performed with some @entity6766 . At this time, 15 @entity1 failed to report their previous complaints of @entity1353 . Only 5 @entity1 reported that various vegetables and pickles were responsible for their @entity110 or @entity484 . Only 2 @entity1 admitted various gastrointestinal symptoms, but non mentioned milk, eggs or cereals as possible causative agents of their bronchial, nasal, skin or circulatory symptoms. Distinctly positive immediate type skin reactions to the mixed milk and egg allergen were recorded in 19 @entity1 (24%), and to cereals in 11 @entity1 (14%). They all reacted strongly also to the house dust allergen, but they did not differ from all the remaining subjects in the intensity of their skin response to the control solution of @entity112 . @entity1 with positive skin reactions to cereals or dairy products complained of chronic or recurrent @entity2490 much more often than the others (73% and 63% compared with 35%). Forty-five (47%) of them had a positive personal history of @entity110 or @entity484 . These "food reactors" did not differ from "non reactors" in the frequency of the elevated serum @entity9416 level which was raised in 66% of the whole group (of 79). The results suggest that @entity566 to cereals and dairy products may often be underestimated in adult asthmatics especially when positive reactions to inhalants are also present. The problems of reliability of the skin tests and history taking in food @entity566 are briefly discussed.
