Food Allergy Study (H-36058)

Comparison of Food Preparations in Atopy Patch and Immediate Hypersensitivity Skin Testing

The purpose of this study is to identify the etiologic factors in patients with suspected or diagnosed food allergy by evaluation of immediate reactivity to food through skin prick testing and delayed reactivity to food through patch testing. Second, this study will determine the frequency of positive skin prick tests and patch tests in patients with suspected food allergies (i.e. immediate and delayed type hypersensitivity). Also, there is a comparison of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and correlation of different forms of food allergens (natural/fresh food, powder/flour and extract forms) and different diagnostic techniques (atopy patch test and skin prick test) for the diagnosis of food allergies. This study will also evaluate different concentration and forms of food allergens in patch testing to find the best allergen form and concentration with diagnostic correlation (false positive, false negative values).

Participants must be 18 years old or less and a patient seen in Texas Children's Pediatric Allergy and Immunology and Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders Clinics, with history or any clinical data supporting diagnosis of mixed IgE and non-IgE mediated food reactions. Patients will undergo percutaneous skin testing and atopy patch testing for clinical evaluation of their mixed IgE and non-IgE mediated food disorder. Patients will also be off of oral antihistamines and topical steroids for at least one week and off of oral steroids for at least one month.