Background: Alcohol, exercise or non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs (NSAID) are frequently mentioned as amplifiers of food allergic reactions but only individual cases or small series have been previously published.
Methods: Descriptive study including 74 cases of suspected co-factor enhanced food allergy, assessed by skin-prick tests, specific IgE and oral challenges.
Results: Anaphylaxis accounted for 85.1% of reactions. In 99% of cases culprit food allergens were plant-derived, mainly vegetables and cereals. NSAID were involved in 58%, exercise in 52.7% and alcohol in 12.2%. Lipid transfer protein was the most frequently involved allergen.
Conclusions: Co-factor enhanced food allergy should be considered when assessing food, alcohol, exercise and NSAID allergic reactions.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.