Perceived food hypersensitivity relates to poor asthma control and quality of life in young non-atopic asthmatics

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 29;10(4):e0124675. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124675. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Background: The relationship between perceived food hypersensitivity in asthmatics, food allergen sensitization, asthma control and asthma-related quality of life has not been studied.

Objective: Our aim was to study the prevalence of perceived food hypersensitivity in a cohort of young asthmatics, its relation to food allergen sensitization, and any correlation to asthma control and asthma-related quality of life.

Methods: Perceived food hypersensitivity, as well as IgE sensitization to common food allergens, levels of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and blood eosinophil counts (B-Eos) were assessed in 408 subjects (211 women) with asthma, aged (mean ± SEM) 20.4 ± 0.3 years. Subjects filled out the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (Mini-AQLQ). Inflammation was assessed by means of FeNO and B-Eos.

Results: Fifty-three per cent of subjects reported food hypersensitivity. A corresponding food allergen sensitization was found in 68% of these subjects. Non-atopic subjects with perceived food hypersensitivity (n = 31) had lower ACT (19 (15 - 22) vs. 21 (20 - 23), p < 0.001) and Mini-AQLQ -scores (5.3 (4.3 - 6.1) vs. 6.1 (5.5 - 6.5), p < 0.001) than subjects with no food hypersensitivity (n = 190), despite lower levels of FeNO and B-Eos (p < 0.05).

Conclusions and clinical relevance: Food hypersensitivity was commonly reported among young asthmatics. In a majority of cases, a corresponding food allergen sensitization was found. A novel and clinically important finding was that non-atopic subjects with perceived food hypersensitivity were characterized by poorer asthma control and asthma-related quality of life.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Allergens / immunology
  • Asthma / complications*
  • Asthma / diagnosis*
  • Asthma / psychology
  • Asthma / therapy
  • Body Mass Index
  • Child
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Eosinophils / cytology
  • Eosinophils / immunology
  • Female
  • Food Hypersensitivity / complications*
  • Food Hypersensitivity / diagnosis*
  • Food Hypersensitivity / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay
  • Immunoglobulin E / analysis
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Male
  • Nitric Oxide / analysis
  • Patient Compliance / statistics & numerical data
  • Quality of Life*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Allergens
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Immunoglobulin E

Grants and funding

Andrei Malinovschi had research grants/support from Bror Hjerpstedts Foundation, Uppsala University Hospital and Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. The MIDAS study was financially supported within the framework of an academy/industry collaboration initiated by the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA, SAMBIO program, grant number 2007-00084), where Aerocrine AB and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Immunodiagnostics were partners and co-financed the program. Thermo Fisher Scientific provided support in the form of salaries for authors MPB and JL, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.