Prevalence of IgE-mediated food allergies in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis – a monocentric retrospective study

Abstract

Malnutrition continues to be a major issue concerning pediatric cystic fibrosis patients’ medical care. Supplementary diagnostic association with food allergy in a cystic fibrosis patient leads to worse nutritional status decline. This particular association determines low quality of life and life expectance impairment. Low caloric intake, recurrent pulmonary infections, maldigestion and malabsorption, low treatment adherence, genetic susceptibility and chronic infections are all risk factors and/or causes of malnutrition in cystic fibrosis patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of IgE mediated food allergies in cystic fibrosis patients. A secondary objective was to assess nutritional status in cystic fibrosis patients with food allergies after exclusion diet. In order to accomplish our objectives, we conducted a descriptive, retrospective study on a 68 pediatric patient cohort with cystic fibrosis (CF). All children were diagnosed and followed in the Regional center for CF of INSMC “Alessandrescu-Rusescu”, Bucharest, between 2011 and 2016. After data collection and statistic analysis we observed a prevalence of 11.7% of food allergies in our cystic fibrosis patients cohort. Also, specific exclusion diet impact on nutritional status was evaluated.

Keywords

• cystic fibrosis
• food allergy
• malnutrition