Food Allergies Less Common in Children With Cystic Fibrosis

TOPLINE:

In the US, children with cystic fibrosis (CF) were significantly less likely to develop food allergies than children without CF. However, boys and children not receiving pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy had disproportionately higher rates of food allergy. Determination of food allergy is important in CF because nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms associated with CF may be misdiagnosed as food allergy.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a retrospective study to observe the prevalence, associated factors, and phenotypes of food allergies in children with CF.
• They included 289 children with CF (mean age, 11.93 years; 51.21% boys) who had at least one clinical encounter between August 2021 and August 2022 at two academic institutions in St. Louis.
• The prevalence of food allergy in children with CF was compared with that in a nationally representative 2018 sample of children without the condition.

TAKEAWAY:

• The prevalence of food allergy in children with CF was 3.81% (95% CI, 1.91%-6.71%), significantly lower than the 7.60% (95% CI, 7.10%-8.10%; P = .015) reported in children without CF.
• Compared with boys with CF (6.08%), girls with CF had a significantly lower prevalence of being diagnosed with food allergy (1.42%; P = .038).
• Children who did not receive pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy had a higher prevalence of food allergy than those who received it (9.09% vs 2.25%; P = .020).

IN PRACTICE:

“These results highlight the importance of thorough investigation into FA [food allergy] labels in patients with CF, particularly as this population may benefit from the incorporation of high-protein, high-fat allergens in the diet,” the study authors wrote.

SOURCE:

Stephanie Leeds, MD, with the Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, was the corresponding author of the study, which was published online on June 21 in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

LIMITATIONS:

This study was limited by its retrospective design, a small number of food allergy cases, the use of criteria to confirm food allergies that differed from those in a prior study, and potential gaps in electronic medical records.

DISCLOSURES:

Some authors reported providing consultation services to or receiving funding or scholarships from various pharmaceutical companies or organizations.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.