Follow-Up of the Wheat Allergy in Children; Consequences and Outgrowing the Allergy

Allergy to wheat is a common food allergy. In spite of this fact, there is not enough literature regarding the features and outgrowing of this allergy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the manifestations of this allergy and to follow the patients to evaluate whether outgrowing allergy happens again and when it occurs. Eight wheat allergic patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2001 were re-evaluated together  with 13 other  new cases of  wheat allergy referred to  the  Immunology and Allergy Pediatric  Department   from  June  2004  to  March  2006.  For  all  cases,  the demographic data along with a complete history regarding allergy to wheat and other types of allergy were collected in questionnaires. The specific IgE measurements (in vivo and in vitro) and oral food challenge (in the absence of a relevant history related to allergy to wheat) were performed. Severe anaphylaxis was seen after wheat ingestion in more than 90% of the patients. Oral tolerance to wheat developed in three patients (37.5%) out of 8 known previous cases who had been followed for eight years, the mean age of oral tolerance to wheat was 68±6.36 (range; 36 months to 108 months). Clinical reactions in our wheat-allergic patients were more severe than those reported before. These patients were at risk for developing chronic allergic symptoms such as asthma. We also found that oral tolerance to wheat was happening in a minority of our patients.