|
|
Wheat allergy can worsen atopic eczema in patients over 14 years of age |
A study at the Department for Dermatology and Venerology at the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, has shown that wheat allergy can worsen atopic eczema symptoms. A group of 179 people suffering from eczema, with an average age of 26 years, 51 male and 128 female, were put through a series of dermatological and allergological examinations: skin prick tests, atopy patch tests and specific serum IgE for wheat, open exposure test and double-blind, placebo controlled food challenge test with wheat flour. The double-blind, placebo controlled food challenge test confirmed wheat allergy in 8 of the 179. In those with confirmed food allergy, after the elimination of wheat flour, improvements in eczema symptoms were seen at 3, 6, 9 and 12 month follow-ups. The scientists confirm that wheat allergy can exacerbate symptoms of atopic eczema, but that open exposure tests and double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge should be used to confirm the presence of wheat allergy. Source: Acta Medica Hradec Kralove First published in 2011 |
