Latex Sensitivity among Allergic Egyptian Children as detected by Skin Prick Test

Abstract

The prevalence of latex allergy has been increasing not only in risk groups but also in the general population. Existing studies point towards a low prevalence of latex allergy in allergic children, which still needs to be confirmed in Egyptian children with different allergic diseases. Aiming at studying the prevalence of latex sensitization and allergy in Egyptian allergic children, we studied 200 infants and children from the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Clinic, Children’s Hospital, Ain Shams University and two different outpatient clinics of El-Zawya and El-Mounira Hospitals. An informed consent was obtained from the parents or caregivers prior to enrollment. A detailed history was taken, focusing on atopic background, previous history of allergic signs or symptoms on exposure to latex or fruits. A clinical examination was conducted to verify the diagnosis and exclude other illnesses. Skin prick test with commercial allergen extract of latex was performed. Total serum IgE and absolute eosinophilic count were determined in all children. In the present study, latex SPT was positive in 5% (10 patients) of the studied sample. Forty percent of the patients who were sensitized to latex had clinical manifestations on exposure to latex products. The results of our study showed that latex SPT had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 96.9%, with a negative predictive value of 99.47%.