SENSITIZATION TO CHICKEN EGG PROTEIN IN CHILDREN WITH ALLERGIC PATHOLOGY AT DIFFERENT AGE PERIODS

Relevance: world studies showed that egg allergy is one of the main causes of IgE-mediated food allergies in children. The aim of our study was analyzing the frequency and rate of sensitization to white egg of the Russian population's children, depending on the gender and age. Materials and methods: allergen-specific IgE levels were measured in children with food allergy (4981 patients aged 6 months-18 years). The frequency and degree of sensitization in various age groups were analyzed. Results: 29.5% of children had an anti-egg IgE antibodies. Among all positive responses, the low (31.6%, IgE=0.35-0.69 kU/l) and moderate (40.2%, IgE=0.70-3.5 kU/l) sensitization were most common. An extremely high level of anti-egg antibodies (IgE50.0 kU/l) was observed in 6.2% of patients. The highest frequency of sensitization was revealed in patients under the age of one year (39%). Decreasing of the positive responses frequency was noted in patients of older age groups. The dependence of the sensitization frequencies on sex was found in children over 12 years old. Frequencies of egg sensitization in girls aged 12-14 and 14-18 were statistically significantly lower compared to those in boys of the same age. The dependence of the response severity on the patient's age was also noted: a decrease in the frequency of highly positive responses and an increase in proportion of patients with medium or low IgE levels in older children were found. There was a decrease in the severity of the IgE-response by the age of 12 years in girls and by the age of 14 years in boys. Conclusion: the frequency and severity of positive IgE-responses to white egg allergens extract is the highest in children of the first year of life. These parameters decrease in older children, After 12 years of age the response severity and frequency are associated with the patient's gender. The marked tendency towards a decrease in the number of patients who have a positive response to a white egg allergens extract and the degree of its severity by adolescence may be evidence of the development of tolerance to this food product with the age.