Fruit is a kind of plant food which is rich in nutrients and immune-regulating ingredients. A meta-analysis has demonstrated that fruits have a protective effects against asthma. On the other hand, clinical syndromes of allergic reactions to fruits manifest as an oral allergy syndrome. We aimed to investigate the patterns and associated factors of fruit allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) sensitization among patients with suspected clinical symptoms. Data were extracted from the Chang Gung Research Database. Fruit sensitization in Taiwan was evaluated using the presence of IgE antibodies against specific fruits. The overall prevalence of positive sIgE responses to fruit allergens in Taiwan, in order of decreasing importance, was pineapple, kiwi, banana, and papaya. Children aged 0-18 had a higher positive rate of allergic responses to pineapple, kiwi, banana, and papaya than adults over the age of 18. Positive specific IgE for kiwi, banana, or papaya was more frequent in younger than in older children and children with a higher total IgE of both logarithmic (log) and arithmetic values. The analysis of log IgE for pineapple positive vs. negative children determined an optimal cutoff value, log IgE 2.2, with both sensitivity (0.9) and specificity (0.5). Dermatitis was significantly more prevalent in children with positive IgE for pineapple, kiwi, banana, and papaya than negative specific IgE. The highest positive rate of sIgE against fruits was pineapple among children. Even in older children, the positive rate of pineapple allergens was high. IgE discriminates with and without sIgE for pineapple, with an optimal cutoff of 158.5 U/mL.
Keywords: dermatitis; fruits; immunoglobulin E; kiwi; pineapple.